great industree Shortly therein so perfect he became That from the first vnto the last degree His mortall life he learned had to frame In holy righteousnesse without rebuke or blame Thence forward by that painfull way they pas Forth to an hill that was both steepe and hy On top whereof a sacred chappell was And eke a litle Hermitage thereby Wherein an aged holy man did lye That day and night said his deuotion Ne other worldly busines did apply His name was heauenly Contemplation Of God and goodnesse was his meditation Great grace that old man to him giuen had For God he often saw from heauens hight All were his earthly eyen both blunt and bad And through great age had lost their kindly sight Yet wondrous quick and persant was his spright As Eagles eye that can behold the Sunne That hill they scale with all their powre and might That his frayle thighes nigh wearie and fordonne Gan faile but by her helpe the top at last he wonne There they do finde that godly aged Sire With snowy lockes adowne his shoulders shed As hoarie frost with spangles doth attire The mossy braunches of an Oke halfe ded Each bone might through his body well be red And euery sinew seene through his long fast For nought he car'd his carcas long vnfed His mind was full of spirituall repast And pyn'd his flesh to keepe his body low and chast Who when these two approching he aspide At their first presence grew agrieued sore That forst him lay his heauenly thoughts aside And had he not that Dame respected more Whom highly he did reuerence and adore He would not once haue moued for the knight They him saluted standing far afore Who well them greeting humbly did requight And asked to what end they clomb that tedious height What end quoth he should cause vs take such paine But that same end which euery liuing wight Should make his marke high heauen to attaine Is not from hence the way that leadeth right To that most glorious house that glistreth bright With burning starres and euerliuing fire Whereof the keyes are to thy hand behight By wise Fidelia she doth thee require To shew it to this knight according his desire Thrise happy man said then the father graue Whose staggering steps thy steady hand doth lead And shewes the way his sinfull soule to saue Who better can the way to heauen aread Then thou thy selfe that was both borne and bred In heauenly throne where thousand Angels shine Thou doest the prayers of the righteous sead Present before the maiestie diuine And his auenging wrath to clemencie incline Yet since thou bidst thy pleasure shal be donne Then come thou man of earth and see the way That neuer yet was seene of Faeries sonne That neuer leads the traueiler astray But after labours long and sad delay Bring them to ioyous rest and endlesse blis But first thou must a season fast and pray Till from her bands the spright assoiled is And haue her strength recur'd from fraile infirmitis That done he leads him to the highest Mount Such one as that same mighty man of God That bloud-red billowes like a walled front On either side disparted with his rod Till that his army dry-foot through them yod Dwelt fortie dayes vpon where writ in stone With bloudy letters by the hand of God The bitter doome of death and balefull mone He did receiue whiles flashing fire about him shone Or like that sacred hill whose head full hie Adornd with fruitfull Oliues all arownd Is as it were for endlesse memory Of that deare Lord who oft thereon was fownd For euer with a flowring girlond crownd Or like that pleasaunt Mount that is for ay Through famous Poets verse each where renownd On which the thrise three learned Ladies play Their heauenly notes and make full many a louely lay From thence far off he vnto him did shew A litle path that was both steepe and long Which to a goodly Citie led his vew Whose wals and towres were builded high and strong Of perle and precious stone that earthly tong Cannot describe nor wit of man can tell Too high a ditty for my simple song The Citie of the great king hight it well Wherein eternall peace and happinesse doth dwell As he thereon stood gazing he might see The blessed Angels to and fro descend From highest heauen in gladsome companee And with great ioy into that Citie wend As commonly as friend does with his frend Whereathe wondred much and gan enquere What stately building durst so high extend Her loftie towres vnto the starry sphere And what vnknowen nation there empeopled were Faire knight quoth he Hierusalem that is The new Hierusalem that God has built For those to dwell in that are chosen his His chosen people purg'd from sinfull guilt With piteous bloud which cruelly was spilt On cursed tree of that vnspotted lam That for the sinnes of all the world was kilt Now are they Saints all in that Citie sam More deare vnto their God then yoūglings to their dam. Till now said then the knight I weened well That great Cleopolis where I haue beene In which that fairest Faerie Queene doth dwell The fairest Citie was that might be seene And that bright towre all built of christall cleene Panthea seemd the brightest thing that was But now by proofe all otherwise I weene For this great Citie that does far surpas And this bright Angels towre quite dims that towre of glas Most trew then said the holy aged man Yet is Cleopolis for earthly fame The fairest peece that eye beholden can And well beseemes all knights of noble name That couet in th' immortall booke of fame To be eternized that same to haunt And doen their seruice to that soueraigne Dame That glorie does to them for guerdon graunt For she is heauenly borne and heauen may iustly vaunt And thou faire ymp sprong out from English race How euer now accompted Elsins sonne Well worthy doest thy seruice for her grace To aide a virgin desolate foredonne But when thou famous victorie hast wonne And high emongst all knights hast hong thy shield Thenceforth the suit of earthly conquest shonne And wash thy hands from guilt of bloudy field For bloud can nought but sin wars but sorrowes yield Then seeke this path that I to thee presage Which after all to heauen shall thee send Then peaceably to thy painefull pilgrimage To yonder same Hierusalem do bend Where is for thee ordaind a blessed end For thou emongst those Saints whom thou doest see Shalt be a Saint and thine owne nations frend And Patrone thou Saint George shalt called bee Saint George of mery England the signe of victoree Vnworthy wretch quoth he ofso great grace How dare I thinke such glory to attaine These that haue it attaind were in like cace Quoth he as wretched and liu'd in like paine But deeds of armes must I at last be faine And Ladies loue to leaue
For she is wearie of the toilesome way And also nigh consumed is the lingring day A stately Pallace built of squared bricke Which cunningly was without morter laid Whose wals were high but nothing strong nor thick And golden foile all ouer them displaid That purest skye with brightnesse they dismaid High lifted vp were many loftie towres And goodly galleries farre ouer laid Full of faire windowes and delightfull bowres And on the top a Diall told the timely howres It was a goodly heape for to behould And spake the praises of the workmans wit But full great pittie that so faire a mould Did on so weake foundation euer sit For on a sandie hill that still did flit And fall away it mounted was full hie That euery breath of heauen shaked it And all the hinder parts that few could spie Were ruinous and old but painted cunningly Arriued there they passed in forth right For still to all the gates stood open wide Yet charge of them was to a Porter hight Cald Maluenù who entrance none denide Thence to the hall which was on euery side With rich array and costly arras dight Infinite sorts of people did abide There waiting long to win the wished sight Of her that was the Lady of that Pallace bright By them they passe all gazing on them round And to the Presence mount whose glorious vew Their frayle amazed senses did confound In liuing Princes court none euer knew Such endlesse richesse and so sumptuous shew Ne Persia selfe the nourse of pompous pride Like euer saw And there a noble crew Of Lordes and Ladies stood on euery side Which with their presence faire the place much beautifide High aboue all a cloth of State was spred And a rich throne as bright as sunny day On which there sate most braue embellished With royall robes and gorgeous array A mayden Queene that shone as Titans ray In glistring gold and peerelesse pretious stone Yet her bright blazing beautie did assay To dim the brightnesse of her glorious throne As enuying her selfe that too exceeding shone Exceeding shone like Phoebus fairest childe That did presume his fathers firie wayne And flaming mouthes of steedes vnwonted wilde Through highest heauen with weaker hand to rayne Proud of such glory and aduancement vaine While flashing beames do daze his feeble eyen He leaues the welkin way most beaten plaine And rapt with whirling wheeles inflames the skyen With fire not made to burne but fairely for to shyne So proud she shyned in her Princely state Looking to heauen for earth she did disdayne And sitting high for lowly she did hate Lo vnderneath her scornefull feete was layne A dreadfull Dragon with an hideous trayne And in her hand she held a mirrhour bright Wherein her face she often vewed fayne And in her selfe-lou'd semblance tooke delight For she was wondrous faire as any liuing wight Of griesly Pluto she the daughter was And sad Proserpina the Queene of hell Yet did she thinke her pearelesse wroth to pas That parentage with pride so did she swell And thundring Ioue that high in heauen doth dwell And wield the world she claymed for her syre Or if that any else did Ioue excell For to the highest she did still aspyre Or if ought higher were then that did it desyre And proud Lucifera men did her call That made her selfe Queene and crownd to be Yet rightfull kingdome she had none at all Ne heritage of natiue soueraintie But did vsurpe with wrong and tyrannie Vpon the scepter which she now did hold Ne ruld her Realmes with lawes but pollicie And strong aduizement of six wisards old That with their counsels bad her kingdome did vphold Soone as the Elfing knight in presence came And false Duessa seeming Lady faire A gentle Husher Vanitie by name Made rowme and passage for them did prepaire So goodly brought them to the lowest staire Of her high throne where they on humble knee Making obeyssance did the cause declare Why they were come her royall state to see To proue the wide report of her great Maiestee With loftie eyes halfe loth to looke so low She thanked them in her disdainefull wise Ne other grace vouchsafed them to show Of Princesse worthy scarse them bad arise Her Lordes and Ladies all this while deuise Themselues to setten forth to straungers sight Some frounce their curled haire in courtly guise Some prancke their ruffes and others trimly dight Their gay attire each others greater pride does spight Goodly they all that knight do entertaine Right glad with him to haue increast their crew But to Duess ' each one himselfe did paine All kindnesse and faire courtesie to shew For in that court whylome her well they knew Yet the stout Faerie mongst the middest crowd Thought all their glorie vaine in knightly vew And that great Princesse too exceeding prowd That to strange knight no better countenance allowd Suddein vpriseth from her stately place The royall Dame and for her coche doth call All hurtlen forth and she with Princely pace As faire Aurora in her purple pall Out of the East the dawning day doth call So forth she comes her brightnesse brode doth blaze The heapes of people thronging in the hall Do ride each other vpon her to gaze Her glorious glitter and light doth all mens eyes amaze So forth she comes and to her coche does clyme Adorned all with gold and girlonds gay That seemd as fresh as Flora in her prime And stroue to match in royall rich array Great Iunoes golden chaire the which they say The Gods stand gazing on when she does ride To Ioues high house through heauens bras-paued way Drawne of faire Pecocks that excell in pride And full of Argus eyes their tailes dispredden wide But this was drawne of six vnequall beasts On which her six sage Counsellours did ryde Taught to obay their bestiall beheasts With like conditions to their kinds applyde Of which the first that all the rest did guyde Was sluggish Idlenesse the nourse of sin Vpon a slouthfull Asse he chose to ryde Arayd in habit blacke and amis thin Like to an holy Monck the seruice to begin And in his hand his Portesse still he bare That much was worne but therein little red For of deuotion he had little care Still drownd in sleepe and most of his dayes ded Scarse could he once vphold his heauie hed To looken whether it were night or day May seeme the wayne was very euill led When such an one had guiding of the way That knew not whether right he went or else astray From worldly cares himselfe he did esloyne And greatly shunned manly exercise For euery worke he chalenged essoyne For contemplation sake yet otherwise His life he led in lawlesse riotise By which he grew to grieuous malady For in his lustlesse limbs through euill guise A shaking feuer raignd continually Such one was Idlenesse first of this company And by his side rode loathsome Gluttony Deformed creature on a filthie swyne His belly
Yet goodly court he made still to his Dame Pourd out in loosnesse on the grassy grownd Both carelesse of his health and of his fame Till at the last he heard a dreadfull sownd Which through the wood loud bellowing did rebownd That all the earth for terrour seemd to shake And trees did tremble Th'Elfe therewith astownd Vpstarted lightly from his looser make And his vnready weapons gan in hand to take But ere he could his armour on him dight Or get his shield his monstrous enimy With sturdie steps came stalking in his sight An hideous Geant horrible and hye That with his talnesse seemd to threat the skye The ground eke groned vnder him for dreed His liuing like saw neuer liuing eye Ne durst behold his stature did exceed The hight of three the tallest sonnes of mortall seed The greatest Earth his vncouth mother was And blustring AEolus his boasted sire Who with his breath which through the world dot◠pas Her hollow womb did secretly inspire And fild her hidden caues with stormie yre That she conceiu'd and trebling the dew time In which the wombes of women do expire Brought forth this monstrous masse of earthly slime Puft vp with emptie wind and fild with sinfull crime So growen great through arrogant delight Of th' high descent whereof he was yborne And through presumption of his matchlesse might All other powres and knighthood he did scorne Such now he marcheth to this man forlorne And left to losse his stalking steps are stayde Vpon a snaggy Oke which he had torne Out of his mothers bowelles and it made His mortall mace wherewith his foemen he dismayde That when the knight he spide he gan aduance With huge force and insupportable mayne And towardes him with dreadfull fury praunce Who haplesse and eke hopelesse all in vaine Did to him pace sad battaile to darrayne Disarmd disgrast and inwardly dismayde And eke so faint in euery ioynt and vaine Through that fraile foūtaine which him feeble made That scarsely could he weeld his bootlesse single blade The Geaunt strooke so maynly mercilesse That could haue ouerthrowne a stony towre And were not heauenly grace that him did blesse He had beene pouldred all as thin as flowre But he was wary of that deadly stowre And lightly lept from vnderneath the blow Yet so exceeding was the villeins powre That with the wind it did him ouerthrow And all his sences stound that still he lay full low As when that diuelish yron Engin wrought In deepest Hell and framd by Furies skill With windy Nitre and quick Sulphur fraught And ramd with bullet round ordaind to kill Conceiueth fire the heauens it doth fill With thundring noyse and all the ayre doth choke That none can breath nor see nor heare at will Through smouldry cloud of duskish stincking smoke That th' onely breath him daunts who hath escapt the stroke So daunted when the Geaunt saw the knight His heauie hand he heaued vp on hye And him to dust thought to haue battred quight Vntill Duessa loud to him gan crye O great Orgoglio greatest vnder skye O hold thy mortall hand for Ladies sake Hold for my sake and do him not to dye But vanquisht thine eternall bondslaue make And me thy worthy meed vnto thy Leman take He hearkned and did stay from further harmes To gayne so goodly guerdon as she spake So willingly she came into his armes Who her as willingly to grace did take And was possessed of his new found make Then vp he tooke the slombred sencelesse corse And ere he could out of his swowne awake Him to his castle brought with hastie forse And in a Dongeon deepe him threw without remorse From that day forth Duessa was his deare And highly honourd in his haughtie eye He gaue her gold and purple pall to weare And triple crowne set on her head full hye And her endowd with royall maiestye Then for to make her dreaded more of men And peoples harts with awfull terrour tye A monstrous beast ybred in filthy fen He chose which he had kept long time in darksome den Such one it was as that renowmed Snake Which great Alcides in Stremona slew Long fostred in the filth of Lerna lake Whose many heads out budding euer new Did breed him endlesse labour to subdew But this same Monster much more vgly was For seuen great heads out of his body grew An yron brest and backe of scaly bras And all embrewd in bloud his eyes did shine as glas His tayle was stretched out in wondrous length That to the house of heauenly gods it raught And with extorted powre and borrow'd strength The euer-burning lamps from thence it brought And prowdly threw to ground as things of nought And vnderneath his filthy feet did tread The sacred things and holy heasts foretaught Vpon this dreadfull Beast with seuenfoldhead He set the false Duessa for more aw and dread The wofull Dwarfe which saw his maisters fall Whiles he had keeping of his grasing steed And valiant knight become a caytiue thrall When all was past tooke vp his forlorne weed His mightie armour missing most at need His siluer shield now idle maisterlesse His poynant speare that many made to bleed The ruefull moniments of heauinesse And with them all departes to tell his great distresse He had not trauaild long when on the way He wofull Ladie wofull Vna met Fast flying from the Paynims greedy pray Whilest Satyrane him from pursuit did let Who when her eyes she on the Dwarfe had set And saw the signes that deadly tydings spake She fell to ground for sorrowfull regret And liuely breath her sad brest did forsake Yet might her pitteous hart be seene to pant and quake The messenger of so vnhappie newes Would faine haue dyde dead was his hart within Yet outwardly some little comfort shewes At last recouering hart he does begin To rub her temples and to chause her chin And euery tender part does tosse and turne So hardly he the flitted life does win Vnto her natiue prison to retourne Then gins her grieued ghost thus to lament and mourne Ye dreary instruments of dolefull sight That doe this deadly spectacle behold Why do ye lenger feed on loathed light Or liking find to gaze on earthly mould Sith cruell fates the carefull threeds vnfould The which my life and loue together tyde Now let the stony dart of senselesse cold Perce to my hart and pas through euery side And let eternall night so sad sight fro me hide O lightsome day the lampe of highest Ioue First made by him mens wandring wayes to guyde When darkenesse he in deepest dongeon droue Henceforth thy hated face for euer hyde And shut vp heauens windowes shyning wyde For earthly sight can nought but sorrow breed And late repentance which shall long abyde Mine eyes no more on vanitie shall feed But seeled vp with death shall haue their deadly meed Then downe againe she fell vnto the ground But he her quickly reared vp againe Thrise
see and tyred limbs to rest O matrone sage quoth she I hither came And this good knight his way with me addrest Led with thy prayses and broad-blazed fame That vp to heauen is blowne The auncient Dame Him goodly greeted in her modest guise And entertaynd them both as best became With all the court'sies that she could deuise Ne wanted ought to shew her bounteous or wise Thus as they gan of sundry things deuise Loe two most goodly virgins came in place Ylinked arme in arme in louely wise With countenance demure and modest grace They numbred euen steps and equall pace Of which the eldest that Fidelia hight Like sunny beames threw from her Christall face That could haue dazd the rash beholders sight And round about her head did shine like heauens light She was araied all in lilly white And in her right hand bore a cup of gold With wine and water fild vp to the hight In which a Serpent did himselfe enfold That horrour made to all that did behold But she no whit did chaunge her constant mood And in her other hand she fast did hold A booke that was both signd and seald with blood Wherein darke things were writ hard to be vnderstood Her younger sister that Speranza hight Was clad in blew that her beseemed well Not all so chearefull seemed she of sight As was her sister whether dread did dwell Or anguish in her hart is hard to tell Vpon her arme a siluer anchor lay Whereon she leaned euer as befell And euer vp to heauen as she did pray Her stedfast eyes were bent ne swarued other way They seeing Vna towards her gan wend Who them encounters with like courtesie Many kind speeches they betwene them spend And greatly ioy each other well to see Then to the knight with shamefast modestie They turne themselues at Vnaes meeke request And him salute with well beseeming glee Who faire them quites as him beseemed best And goodly gan discourse of many a noble gest Then Vna thus But she your sister deare The deare Charissa where is she become Or wants she health or busie is elsewhere Ah no said they but forth she may not come For she of late is lightned of her wombe And hath encreast the world with one sonne more That her to see should be but troublesome Indeede quoth she that should be trouble sore But thankt be God and her encrease so euermore Then said the aged Coelia Deare dame And you good Sir I wote that of your toyle And labours long through which ye hither came Ye both forwearied be therefore a whyle I read you rest and to your bowres recoyle Then called she a Groome that forth him led Into a goodly lodge and gan despoile Of puissant armes and laid in easie bed His name was meeke Obedience rightfully ared Now when their wearie limbes with kindly rest And bodies were refresht with due repast Faire Vna gan Fidelia faire request To haue her knight into her schoolehouse plaste That of her heauenly learning he might taste And heare the wisedome of her words diuine She graunted and that knight so much agraste That she him taught celestiall discipline And opened his dull eyes that light mote in them shine And that her sacred Booke with bloudy writ That none could read except she did them teach She vnto him disclosed euery whit And heauenly documents thereout did preach That weaker wit of man could neuer reach Of God of grace of iustice of free will That wonder was to heare her goodly speach For she was able with her words to kill And raise againe to life the hart that she did thrill And when she list poure out her larger spright She would commaund the hastie Sunne to stay Or backward turne his course from heauens hight Sometimes great hostes of men she could dismay And eke huge mountaines from their natiue seat She would commaund themselues to beare away And throw in raging sea with roaring threat Almightie God her gaue such powre and puissance great The faithfull knight now grew in litle space By hearing her and by her sisters lore To such perfection of all heauenly grace That wretched world he gan for to abhore And mortall life gan loath as thing forlore Greeu'd with remembrance of his wicked wayes And prickt with anguish of his sinnes so sore That he desirde to end his wretched dayes So much the dart of sinfull guilt the soule dismayes But wise Speranza gaue him comfort sweet And taught him how to take assured hold Vpon her siluer anchor as was meet Else had his sinnes so great and manifold Made him forget all that Fidelia told In this distressed doubtfull agonie When him his dearest Vna did behold Disdeining life desiring leaue to die She found her selfe assayld with great perplexitie And came to Coelia to declare her smart Who well acquainted with that commune plight Which sinfull horror workes in wounded hart Her wisely comforted all that she might With goodly counsell and aduisement right And streightway sent with carefull diligence To fetch a Leach the which had great insight In that disease of grieued conscience And well could cure the same His name was Patience Who comming to that soule-diseased knight Could hardly him intreat to tell his griefe Which knowne and all that noyd his heauie spright Well searcht eftsoones he gan apply reliefe Of salues and med'cines which had passing priefe And thereto added words of wondrous might By which to ease he him recured briefe And much asswag'd the passion of his plight That he his paine endur'd as seeming now more light But yet the cause and root of all his ill Inward corruption and infected sin Not purg'd nor heald behind remained still And festring sore did rankle yet within Close creeping twixt the marrow and the skin Which to extirpe he laid him priuily Downe in a darkesome lowly place farre in Whereas he meant his corrosiues to apply And with streight diet tame his stubborne malady In ashes and sackcloth he did array His daintie corse proud humors to abate And dieted with fasting euery day The swelling of his wounds to mitigate And made him pray both earely and eke late And euer as superfluous flesh did rot Amendment readie still at hand did wayt To pluck it out with pincers firie whot That soone in him was left no one corrupted iot And bitter Penance with an yron whip Was wont him once to disple euery day And sharpe Remorse his hart did pricke and nip That drops of bloud thence like a well did play And sad Repentance vsed to embay His bodie in salt water smarting sore The filthy blots of sinne to wash away So in short space they did to health restore The man that would not liue but earst lay at deathes dore which his torment often was so great That like a Lyon he would cry and rore And rend his flesh and his owne synewes eat His owne deare Vna hearing euermore His ruefull shriekes and
gronings often tore Her guiltlesse garments and her golden heare For pitty of his paine and anguish sore Yet all with patience wisely she did beare or well she wist his crime could else be neuer cleare Whom thus recouer'd by wise Patience And trew Repentance they to Vna brought Who ioyous of his cured conscience Him dearely kist and fairely eke besought Himselfe to chearish and consuming thought To put away out of his carefull brest By this Charissa late in child-bed brought Was woxen strong and left her fruitfull nest To her faire Vna brought this vnacquainted guest He was a woman in her freshest age Of wondrous beauty and of bountie rare With goodly grace and comely personage That was on earth not easie to compare Full of great loue but Cupids wanton snare As hell she hated chast in worke and will Her necke and breasts were euer open bare That ay thereof her babes might sucke their fill The rest was all in yellow robes arayed still A multitude of babes about her hong Playing their sports that ioyd her to behold Whom still she fed whiles they were weake young But thrust them forth still as they wexed old And on her head she wore a tyre of gold Adornd with gemmes and owches wondrous faire Whose passing price vneath was to be told And by her side there sate a gentle paire Of turtle doues she sitting in an yuorie chaire The knight and Vna entring faire her greet And bid her ioy of that her happie brood Who them requites with court'sies seeming meet And entertaines with friendly chearefull mood Then Vna her besought to be so good As in her vertuous rules to schoole her knight Now after all his torment well withstood In that sad house of Penaunce where his spright Had past the paines of hell and long enduring night She was right ioyous of her iust request And taking by the hand that Faeries sonne Gan him instruct in euery good behest Of loue and righteousnesse and well to donne And wrath and hatred warely to shonne That drew on men Gods hatred and his wrath And many soules in dolours had fordonne In which when him she well instructed hath From thence to heauen she teacheth him the ready path Wherein his weaker wandring steps to guide An auncient matrone she to her does call Whose sober lookes her wisedome well descride Her name was Mercie well knowne ouer all To be both gratious and eke liberall To whom the carefull charge of him she gaue To lead aright that he should neuer fall In all his wayes through this wide worldes waue That Mercy in the end his righteous soule might saue The godly Matrone by the hand him beares Forth from her presence by a narrow way Scattred with bushy thornes and ragged breares Which still before him she remou'd away That nothing might his ready passage stay And euer when his feet encombred were Organ to shrinke or from the right to stray She held him fast and firmely did vpbeare As carefull Nourse her child from falling oft does reare Eftsoones vnto an holy Hospitall That was fore by the way she did him bring In which seuen Bead-men that had vowed all Their life to seruice of high heauens king Did spend their dayes in doing godly thing There gates to all were open euermore That by the wearie way were traueiling And one sate wayting euer them before To call in-commers by that needy were and pore The first of them that eldest was and best Of all the house had charge and gouernement As Guardian and Steward of the rest His office was to giue entertainement And lodging vnto all that came and went Not vnto such as could him feast againe And double quite for that he on them spent But such as want of harbour did constraine Those for Gods sake his dewty was to entertaine The second was as Almner of the place His office was the hungry for to feed And thristy giue to drinke a worke of grace He feard not once him selfe to be in need Ne car'd to hoord for those whom he did breede The grace of God he layd vp still in store Which as a stocke he left vnto his seede He had enough what need him care for more And had he lesse yet some he would giue to the pore The third had of their wardrobe custodie In which were not rich tyres nor garments gay The plumes of pride and wings of vanitie But clothes meet to keepe keene could away And naked nature seemely to aray With which bare wretched wights he dayly clad The images of God in earthly clay And if that no spare cloths to giue he had His owne coate he would cut and it distribute glad The fourth appointed by his office was Poore prisoners to relieue with gratious ayd And captiues to redeeme with price of bras From Turkes and Sarazins which them had stayd And though they faultie were yet well he wayd That God to vs forgiueth euery howre Much more then that why they in bands were layd And he that harrowd hell with heauie stowre The faultie soules from thence brought to his heauenly bowre The fift had charge sicke persons to attend And comfort those in point of death which lay For them most needeth comfort in the end When sin and hell and death do most dismay The feeble soule departing hence away All is but lost that liuing we bestow If not well ended at our dying day O man haue mind of that last bitter throw For as the tree does fall so lyes it euer low The sixt had charge of them now being dead In seemely sort their corses to engraue And deck with dainty flowres their bridall bed That to their heauenly spouse both sweet and braue They might appeare when he their soules shall saue The wondrous workemanship of Gods owne mould Whose face he made all beasts to feare and gaue All in his hand euen dead we honour should Ah dearest God me graunt I dead be not defould The seuenth now after death and buriall done Had charge the tender Orphans of the dead And widowes ayd least they should be vndone In face of iudgement he their right would plead Ne ought the powre of mighty men did dread In their defence nor would for gold or fee Be wonne their rightfull causes downe to tread And when they stood in most necessitee He did supply their want and gaue them euer free There when the Elfin knight arriued was The first and chiefest of the seuen whose care Was guests to welcome towardes him did pas Where seeing Mercie that his steps vp bare And alwayes led to her with reuerence rare He humbly louted in meeke lowlinesse And seemely welcome for her did prepare For of their order she was Patronesse Albe Charissa were their chiefest founderesse There she awhile him stayes him selfe to rest That to the rest more able he might bee During which time in euery good behest And godly worke of Almes and charitee She him instructed with
so dearely bought What need of armes where peace doth ay remaine Said he and battailes none are to be fought As for loose loues are vaine and vanish into nought O let me not quoth he then turne againe Backe to the world whose ioyes so fruitlesse are But let me here for aye in peace remaine Or streight way on that last long voyage fare That nothing may my present hope empare That may not be said he ne maist thou yit Forgo that royall maides bequeathed care Who did her cause into thy hand commit Till from her cursed foe thou haue her freely quit Then shall I soone quoth he so God me grace Abet that virgins cause disconsolate And shortly backe returne vnto this place To walke this way in Pilgrims poore estate But now aread old father why of late Didst thou behight me borne of English blood Whom all a Faeries sonne doen then nominate That word shall I said he auouchen good Sith to thee is vnknowne the cradle of thy brood For well I wote thou springst from ancient race Of Saxon kings that haue with mightie hand And many bloudie battailes fought in place High reard their royall throne in Britane land And vanquisht them vnable to withstand From thence a Faerie thee vnweeting rest There as thou slepst in tender swadling band And her base Elfin brood there for thee left Such men do Chaungelings call so chaungd by Faeries theft Thence she thee brought into this Faerie lond And in an heaped furrow did thee hyde Where thee a Ploughman all vnweeting fond As he his toylesome teme that way did guyde And brought thee vp in ploughmans state to byde Whereof Georgos he thee gaue to name Till prickt with courage and thy forces pryde To Faery court thou cam'st to seeke for fame And proue thy puissaunt armes as seemes thee best became O holy Sire quoth he how shall I quight The many fauours I with thee haue found That hast my name and nation red aright And taught the way that does to heauen bound This said adowne he looked to the ground To haue returnd but dazed were his eyne Through passing brightnesse which did quite cōfoun His feeble sence and too exceeding shyne So darke are earthly things compard to things diuine At last whenas himselfe he gan to find To Vna back he cast him to retire Who him awaited still with pensiue mind Great thankes and goodly meed to that good syre He thence departing gaue for his paines hyre So came to Vna who him ioyd to see And after litle rest gan him desire Of her aduenture mindfull for to bee So leaue they take of Coelia and her daughters three Cant. XI The knight with that old Dragon fights two dayes incessantly The third him ouerthrowes and gayns most glorious victory HIgh time now gan it wex for Vna faire To thinke of those her captiue Parents deare And their forwasted kingdome to repaire Whereto whenas they now approched neare With hartie words her knight she gan to cheare And in her modest manner thus bespake Deare knight as deare as euer knight was deare That all these sorrowes suffer for my sake High heauen behold the tedious toyle ye for me take Now are we come vnto my natiue soyle And to the place where all our perils dwell Here haunts that feend and does his dayly spoyle Therefore henceforth be at your keeping well And euer ready for your foeman fell The sparke of noble courage now awake And striue your excellent selfe to excell That shall ye euermore renowmed make Aboue all knights on earth that batteill vndertake And pointing forth lo yonder is said she The brasen towre in which my parents deare For dread of that huge feend emprisond be Whom I from far see on the walles appeare Whose sight my feeble soule doth greatly cheare And on the top of all I do espye The watchman wayting tydings glad to heare That ô my parents might I happily Vnto you bring to ease you of your misery With that they heard a roaring hideous sound That all the ayre with terrour filled wide And seemd vneath to shake the stedfast ground Eftsoones that dreadfull Dragon they espide Where stretch he lay vpon the sunny side Of a great hill himselfe like a great hill But all so soone as he from far descride Those glistring armes that heauen with light did fill He rousd himselfe full blith and hastned them vntill Then bad the knight this Lady yede aloofe And to an hill her selfe with draw aside From whence she might behold that battailles proof And eke be safe from daunger far descryde She him obayd and turnd a little wyde Now O thou sacred Muse most learned Dame Faire ympe of Phoebus and his aged bride The Nourse of time and euerlasting fame That warlike hands ennoblest with immortall name O gently come into my feeble brest Come gently but not with that mighty rage Wherewith the martiall troupes thou doest infest And harts of great Heroes doest enrage That nought their kindled courage may aswage Soone as thy dreadfull trompe begins to sownd The God of warre with his fiers equipage Thou doest awake sleepe neuer he so sownd And feared nations doest with horrour sterne astownd Faire Goddesse lay that furious fit aside Till I of warres and bloudy Mars do sing And Briton fields with Sarazin bloud bedyde Twixt that great faery Queene and Paynim king That with their horrour heauen and earth did ring A worke of labour long and endlesse prayse But now a while let downe that haughtie string And to my tunes thy second tenor rayse That I this man of God his godly armes may blaze By this the dreadfull Beast drew nigh to hand Halfe flying and halfe footing in his hast That with his largenesse measured much land And made wide shadow vnder his huge wast As mountaine doth the valley ouercast Approching nigh he reared high afore His body monstrous horrible and wast Which to increase his wondrous greatnesse more Was swolne with wrath poyson with bloudy gore And ouer all with brasen scales was armd Like plated coate of steele so couched neare That nought mote perce ne might his corse be harmd With dint of sword nor push of pointed speare Which as an Eagle seeing pray appeare His aery plumes doth rouze full rudely dight So shaked he that horrour was to heare For as the clashing of an Armour bright Such noyse his rouzed scales did send vnto the knight His flaggy wings when forth he did display Were like two sayles in which the hollow wynd Is gathered full and worketh speedy way And eke the pennes that did his pineons bynd Were like mayne-yards with flying canuas lynd With which whenas him list the ayre to beat And there by force vnwonted passage find The cloudes before him fled for terrour great And all the heauens stood still amazed with his threat His huge long tayle wound vp in hundred foldes Does ouerspred his long bras-scaly backe Whose wreathed boughts when
and doen vpreare Their beuers bright each other for to greete Goodly comportance each to other beare And entertaine themselues with court'sies meet Then said the Redcrosse knight Now mote I weet Sir Guyon why with so fierce saliaunce And fell intent ye did at earst me meet For sith I know your goodly gouernaunce Great cause I weene you guided or some vncouth chaunce Certes said he well mote I shame to tell The fond encheason that me hither led A false infamous faitour late befell Me for to meet that seemed ill bested And playnd of grieuous outrage which he red A knight had wrought against a Ladie gent Which to auenge he to this place me led Where you he made the marke of his intent And now is fled foule shame him follow where he went So can he turne his earnest vnto game Through goodly handing and wise temperance By this his aged guide in presence came Who soone as on that knight his eye did glance Eft soones of him had perfect cognizance Sith him in Faerie court he late auizd And said faire sonne God giue you happie chance And that deare Crosse vpon your shield deuizd Wherewith aboue all knights ye goodly seeme aguizd Ioy may you haue and euerlasting fame Of late most hard atchieu'ment by you donne For which enrolled is your glorious name In heauenly Registers aboue the Sunne Where you a Saint with Saints your seat haue wonne But wretched we where ye haue left your marke Must now anew begin like race to runne God guide thee Guyon well to end thy warke And to the wished hauen bring thy weary barke Palmer him answered the Redcrosse knight His be the praise that this atchieu'ment wrought Who made my hand the organ of his might More then goodwill to me attribute nought For all I did I did but as I ought But you faire Sir whose pageant next ensewes Well mote yee thee as well can wish your thought That home ye may report these happie newes For well ye worthie bene for worth and gentle thewes So courteous conge both did giue and take With right hands plighted pledges of good will Then Guyon forward gan his voyage make With his blacke Palmer that him guided still Still he him guided ouer dale and hill And with his steedie staffe did point his way His race with reason and with words his will From foule intemperance he oft did stay And suffred not in wrath his hastie steps to stray In this faire wize they traueild long yfere Through many hard assayes which did betide Of which he honour still away did beare And spred his glorie through all countries wide At last as chaunst them by a forest side To passe for succour from the scorching ray They heard a ruefull voice that dearnly cride With percing shriekes and many a dolefull lay Which to attend a while their forward steps they stay But if that carelesse heauens quoth she despise The doome of iust reuenge and take delight To see sad pageants of mens miseries As bound by them to liue in liues despight Yet can they not warne death from wretched wight Come then come soone come sweetest death to mee And take away this long lent loathed light Sharpe be thy wounds but sweet the medicines bee That long captiued soules from wearie thraldome free But thou sweet Babe whom frowning froward fate Hath made sad witnesse of thy fathers fall Sith heauen thee deignes to hold in liuing state Long maist thou liue and better thriue withall Then to thy lucklesse parents did befall Liue thou and to thy mother dead attest That cleare she dide from blemish criminall Thy litle hands embrewd in bleeding brest Loe I for pledges leaue So giue me leaue to rest With that a deadly shrieke she forth did throw That through the wood reecchoed againe And after gaue a grone so deepe and low That seemd her tender heart was rent in twaine Or thrild with point of thorough piercing paine As gentle Hynd whose sides with cruell steele Through launched forth her bleeding life does raine Whiles the sad pang approching she does feele Brayes out her latest breath and vp her eyes doth seele Which when that warriour heard dismounting straict From his tall steed he rusht into the thicke And soone arriued where that sad pourtraict Of death and labour lay halfe dead halfe quicke In whose white alabaster brest did sticke A cruell knife that made a griesly wound From which forth gusht a streme of gorebloud thick That all her goodly garments staind around And into a deepe sanguine dide the grassie ground Pittifull spectacle of deadly smart Beside a bubbling fountaine low she lay Which she increased with her bleeding hart And the cleane waues with purple gold did ray Al 's in her lap a louely babe did play His cruell sport in stead of sorrow dew For in her streaming blood he did embay His litle hands and tender ioynts embrew Pitifull spectacle as euer eye did view Besides them both vpon the soiled gras The dead corse of an armed knight was spred Whose armour all with bloud besprinckled was His ruddie lips did smile and rosy red Did paint his chearefull cheekes yet being ded Seemd to haue beene a goodly personage Now in his freshest flowre of lustie hed Fit to inflame faire Lady with loues rage But that fiers fate did crop the blossome of his age Whom when the good Sir Guyon did behold His hart gan wexe as starke as marble stone And his fresh bloud did frieze with fearefull cold That all his senses seemd bereft attone At last his mightie ghost gan deepe to grone As Lyon grudging in his great disdaine Mournes inwardly and makes to himselfe mone Till ruth and fraile affection did constraine His stout courage to stoupe and shew his inward paine Out of her gored wound the cruell steele He lightly snatcht and did the floudgate stop With his faire garment then gan softly feele Her feeble pulse to proue if any drop Of liuing bloud yet in her veynes did hop Which when he felt to moue he hoped faire To call backe life to her forsaken shop So well he did her deadly wounds repaire That at the last she gan to breath out liuing aire Which he perceiuing greatly gan reioice And goodly counsell that for wounded hart Is meetest med'cine tempred with sweet voice Ay me deare Lady which the image art Of ruefull pitie and impatient smart What direfull chance armd with reuenging fate Or cursed hand hath plaid this cruell part Thus fowle to hasten your vntimely date Speake O deare Lady speake help neuer comes too late Therewith her dim eie-lids she vp gan reare On which the drery death did sit as sad As lump of lead and made darke clouds appeare But when as him all in bright armour clad Before her standing she espied had As one out of a deadly dreame affright She weakely started yet she nothing drad Streight downe againe her selfe in great despight She groueling threw to
approched to the shore And cald Pyrrhochles what is this I see What hellish furie hath at earst thee hent Furious euer I thee knew to bee Yet neuer in this straunge astonishment These flames these flames he cryde do metorment What flames quoth he when I thee present see In daunger rather to be drent then brent Harrow the flames which me consume said hee Ne can be quencht within my secret bowels bee That cursed man that cruell feend of hell Furor oh Furor hath me thus bedight His deadly wounds within my liuers swell And his whot fire burnes in mine entrails bright Kindled through his infernall brond of spight Sith late with him I batteil vaine would boste That now I weene Ioues dreaded thunder light Does scorch not halfe so sore nor damned ghoste In flaming Phlegeton does not so felly roste Which when as Archimago heard his griefe He knew right well and him attonce disarmd Then searcht his secret wounds and made a priefe Of euery place that was with brusing harmd Or with the hidden fire too inly warmd Which done he balmes and herbes thereto applyde And euemore with mighty spels them charmd That in short space he has them qualifyde And him restor'd to health that would haue algates dyde Cant. VII Guyon findes Mamon in a delue Sunning his threasure hore Is by him tempted led downe To see his secret store AS Pilot well expert in perilous waue That to a stedfast starre his course hath bent When foggy mistes or cloudy tempests haue The faithfull light of that faire lampe yblent And couer'd heauen with hideous dreriment Vpon his card and compas firmes his eye The maisters of his long experiment And to them does the steddy helme apply Bidding his winged vessell fairely forward fly So Guyon hauing lost his trusty guide Late left beyond that Ydle lake proceedes Yet on his way of none accompanide And euermore himselfe with comfort feedes Of his owne vertues and prayse-worthy deedes So long he yode yet no aduenture found Which fame of her shrill trompet worthy reedes For still he traueild through wide wastfull ground That nought but desert wildernesse shew'd all around At last he came vnto a gloomy glade Couer'd with boughes shrubs from heauens light Whereas he sitting found in secret shade An vncouth saluage and vnciulle wight Of griesly hew and fowle ill fauour'd sight His face with smoke was tand and eyes were bleard His head and beard with sout were ill bedight His cole-blacke hands did seeme to haue beene seard In smithes fire-spitting forge and nayles like clawes appeard His yron coate all ouergrowne with rust Was vnderneath enueloped with gold Whose glistring glosse darkned with filthy dust Well it appeared to haue beene of old A worke of rich entayle and curious mould Wouen with antickes and wild Imagery And in his lap a masse of coyne he told And turned vpsidowne to feede his eye A couetous desire with his huge threasury And round about him lay on euery side Great heapes of gold that neuer could be spent Of which some were rude owre not purifide Of Mulcibers deuouring element Some others were new driuen and distent Into great Ingoes and to wedges square Some in round plates withouten moniment But most were stampt and in their metall bare The antique shapes of kings and kesars straunge rare Soone as he Guyon saw in great affright And hast he rose for to remoue aside Those pretious hils from straungers enuious sight And downe them poured through an hole full wide Into the hollow earth them there to hide But Guyon lightly to him leaping stayd His hand that trembled as one terrifyde And though him selfe were at the sight dismayd Yet him perforce restraynd and to him doubtfull sayd What art thou man if man at all thou art That here in desert hast thine habitaunce And these rich heapes of wealth doest hide apart From the worldes eye and from her right vsaunce Thereat with staring eyes fixed askaunce In great disdaine he answerd Hardy Elfe That darest vew my direfull countenaunce I read thee rash and heedlesse of thy selfe To trouble my still seate and heapes of pretious pelfe God of the world and worldlings I me call Great Mammon greatest god below the skye That of my plenty poure out vnto all And vnto none my graces do enuye Riches renowme and principality Honour estate and all this worldes good For which men swinck and sweat incessantly Fro me do flow into an ample flood And in the hollow earth haue their eternall brood Wherefore if me thou deigne to serue and sew At thy commaund lo all these mountaines bee Or if to thy great mind or greedy vew All these may not suffise there shall to thee Ten times so much be numbred francke and free Mammon said he thy godheades vaunt is vaine And idle offers of thy golden fee To them that couet such eye-glutting gaine Proffer thy giftes and fitter seruaunts entertaine Me ill besits that in der-doing armes And honours suit my vowed dayes do spend Vnto thy bounteous baytes and pleasing charmes With which weake men thou witchest to attend Regard of worldly mucke doth fowly blend And low abase the high heroicke spright That ioyes for crownes and kingdomes to contend Faire shields gay steedes bright armes be my delight Those be the riches fit for an aduent'rous knight Vaine glorious Elfe said he doest not thou weet That money can thy wantes at will supply Sheilds steeds and armes all things for thee meet It can puruay in twinckling of an eye And crownes and kingdomes to thee multiply Do not I kings create throw the crowne Sometimes to him that low in dust doth ly And him that raignd into his rowme thrust downe And whom I lust do heape with glory and renowne All otherwise said he I riches read And deeme them roote of all disquietnesse First got with guile and then preseru'd with dread And after spent with pride and lauishnesse Leauing behind them griefe and heauinesse Infinite mischiefes of them do arize Strife and debate bloudshed and bitternesse Outrageous wrong and hellish couetize That noble heart as great dishonour doth despize Ne thine be kingdomes ne the scepters thine But realmes and rulers thou doest both confound And loyall truth to treason doest incline Witnesse the guiltlesse bloud pourd oft on ground The crowned often slaine the slayer cround The sacred Diademe in peeces rent And purple robe gored with many a wound Castles surprizd great cities sackt and brent So mak'st thou kings gaynest wrongfull gouernement Long were to tell the troublous stormes that tosse The priuate state and make the life vnsweet Who swelling sayles in Caspian sea doth crosse And in frayle wood on Adrian gulfe doth fleet Doth not I weene so many euils meet Then Mammon wexing wroth And why then said Are mortall men so fond and vndiscreet So euill thing to seeke vnto their ayd And hauing not complaine and hauing it vpbraid Indeede quoth he through fowle intemperaunce
Thy spouse I will her make if that thou lust That she may thee aduance for workes and merites iust Gramercy Mammon said the gentle knight For so great grace and offred high estate But I that am fraile flesh and earthly wight Vnworthy match for such immortall mate My selfe well wote and mine vnequall fate And were I not yet is my trouth yplight And loue auowd to other Lady late That to remoue the same I haue no might To chaunge loue causelesse is reproch to warlike knight Mammon emmoued was with inward wrath Yet forcing it to faine him forth thence led Through griesly shadowes by a beaten path Into a gardin goodly garnished With hearbs and fruits whose kinds mote not be red Not such as earth out of her fruitfull woomb Throwes forth to men sweet and well sauoured But direfull deadly blacke both leafe and bloom Fit to adorne the dead and decke the drery toombe There mournfull Cypresse grew in greatest store And trees of bitter Gall and Heben sad Dead sleeping Poppy and blacke Hellebore Cold Coloquintida and Tetra mad Mortall Samnitis and Cicuta bad Which with th'vniust Atheniens made to dy Wise Socrates who thereof quaffing glad Pourd out his life and last Philosophy To the faire Critias his dearest Belamy The Gordin of Proserpina this hight And in the midst thereof a siluer seat With a thicke Arber goodly ouer dight In which she often vsd from open heat Her selfe to shroud and pleasures to entreat Next thereunto did grow a goodly tree With braunches broad dispred and body great Clothed with leaues that none the wood mote see And loaden all with fruit as thicke as it might bee Their fruit were golden apples glistring bright That goodly was their glory to behold On earth like neuer grew ne liuing wight Like euer saw but they from hence were sold For those which Hercules with conquest bold Got from great Atlas daughters hence began And planted there did bring forth fruit of gold And those with which th' Eubaean young man wan Swift Atalanta when through craft he her out ran Here also sprong that goodly golden fruit With which Acontius got his louer trew Whom he had long time sought with fruitlesse suit Here eke that famous golden Apple grew The which emongst the gods false Ate threw For which th' Idaean Ladies disagreed Till partiall Paris dempt it Venus dew And had of her faire Helen for his meed That many noble Greekes and Troians made to bleed The warlike Elfe much wondred at this tree So faire and great that shadowed all the ground And his broad braunches laden with rich fee Did stretch themselues without the vtmost bound Of this great gardin compast with a mound Which ouer-hanging they themselues did steepe In a blacke flood which flow'd about it round That is the riuer of Cocytus deepe In which full many soules do endlesse waile and weepe Which to behold he clomb vp to the banke And looking downe saw many damned wights In those sad waues which direfull deadly stanke Plonged continually of cruell Sprights That with their pitteous cryes and yelling shrights They made the further shore resounden wide Emongst the rest of those same ruefull sights One cursed creature he by chaunce espide That drenched lay full deepe vnder the Garden side Deepe was he drenched to the vpmost chin Yet gaped still as coueting to drinke Of the cold liquor which he waded in And stretching forth his hand did often thinke To reach the fruit which grew vpon the brincke But both the fruit from hand and floud from mouth Did flie abacke and made him vainely swinke The whiles he steru'd with hunger and with drouth He daily dyde yet neuer throughly dyen couth The knight him seeing labour so in vaine Askt who he was and what he ment thereby Who groning deepe thus answerd him againe Most cursed of all creatures vnder skye Lo Tantalus I here tormented lye Of whom high Ioue wont whylome feasted bee Lo here I now for want of food doe dye But if that thou be such as I thee see Of grace I pray thee giue to eat and drinke to mee Nay nay thou greedie Tantalus quoth he Abide the fortune of thy present fate And vnto all that liue in high degree Ensample be of mind intemperate To teach them how to vse their present state Then gan the cursed wretch aloud to cry Accusing highest Ioue and gods ingrate And eke blaspheming heauen bitterly As authour of vniustice there to let him dye He lookt a little further and espyde Another wretch whose carkasse deepe was drent Within the riuer which the same did hyde But both his hands most filthy feculent Aboue the water were on high extent And faynd to wash themselues incessantly Yet nothing cleaner were for such intent But rather fowler seemed to the eye So lost his labour vaine and idle industry The knight him calling asked who he was Who lifting vp his head him answerd thus I Pilate am the falsest Iudge alas And most vniust that by vnrighteous And wicked doome to Iewes despiteous Deliuered vp the Lord of life to die And did acquite a murdrer felonous The whiles my hands I washt in puritie The whiles my soule was soyld with foule iniquitie Infinite moe tormented in like paine He there beheld too long here to be told Ne Mammon would there let him long remaine For terrour of the tortures manifold In which the damned soules he did behold But roughly him bespake Thou fearefull foole Why takest not of that same fruit of gold Ne sittest downe on that same siluer stoole To rest thy wearie person in the shadow coole All which he did to doe him deadly fall In frayle intemperance through sinfull bayt To which if he inclined had at all That dreadfull feend which did behind him wayt Would him haue rent in thousand peeces strayt But he was warie wise in all his way And well perceiued his deceiptfull sleight Ne suffred lust his safetie to betray So goodly did beguile the Guyler of the pray And now he has so long remained there That vitall powres gan wexe both weake and wan For want of food and sleepe which two vpbeare Like mightie pillours this fraile life of man That none without the same enduren can For now three dayes of men were full outwrought Since he this hardie enterprize began For thy great Mammon fairely he besought Into the world to guide him backe as he him brought The God though loth yet was constraind t' obay For lenger time then that no liuing wight Below the earth might suffred be to stay So backe againe him brought to liuing light But all so soone as his enfeebled spright Gan sucke this vitall aire into his brest As ouercome with too exceeding might The life did flit away out of her nest And all his senses were with deadly fit opprest Cant. VIII Sir Guyon laid in swowne is by Acrates sonnes despoyld Whom Arthur soone hath reskewed And Paynim brethren foyld ANd is
long hope doth throw A downe the streame and all his vowes make vaine Nor bounds nor banks his headlong ruine may sustaine Vpon his shield their heaped hayle he bore And with his sword disperst the raskall flockes Which fled a sunder and him fell before As withered leaues drop from their dried stockes Whē the wroth Western wind does reaue their locks And vnder neath him his courageous steed The fierce Spumador trode them downe like docks The fierce Spumador borne of heauenly seed Such as Laomedon of Phoebus race did breed Which suddeine horrour and confused cry When as their Captaine heard in haste he yode The cause to weet and fault to remedy Vpon a Tygre swift and fierce he rode That as the winde ran vnderneath his lode Whiles his long legs nigh raught vnto the ground Full large he was of limbe and shoulders brode But of such subtile substance and vnsound That like a ghost he seem'd whose graue-clothes were vnbound And in his hand a bended bow was seene And many arrowes vnder his right side All deadly daungerous all cruell keene Headed with flint and feathers bloudie dide Such as the Indians in their quiuers hide Those could he well direct and streight as line And bid them strike the marke which he had eyde Ne was their salue ne was their medicine That mote recure their wounds so inly they did tine As pale and wan as ashes was his looke His bodie leane and meagre as a rake And skin all withered like a dryed rooke Thereto as cold and drery as a Snake That seem'd to tremble euermore and quake All in a canuas thin he was bedight And girded with a belt of twisted brake Vpon his head he wore an Helmet light Made of a dead mans skull that seem'd a ghastly sight Maleger was his name and after him There follow'd fast at hand two wicked Hags With hoarie lockes all loose and visage grim Their feet vnshod their bodies wrapt in rags And both as swift on foot as chased Stags And yet the one her other legge had lame Which with a staffe all full of litle snags She did disport and Impotence her name But th' other was Impatience arm'd with raging flame Soone as the Carle from farre the Prince espyde Glistring in armes and warlike ornament His Beast he felly prickt on either syde And his mischieuous bow full readie bent With which at him a cruell shaft he sent But he was warie and it warded well Vpon his shield that it no further went But to the ground the idle quarrell fell Then he another and another did expell Which to preuent the Prince his mortall speare Soone to him raught and fierce at him did ride To be auenged of that shot whyleare But he was not so hardie to abide That bitter stownd but turning quicke aside His light-foot beast fled fast away for feare Whom to pursue the Infant after hide So fast as his good Courser could him beare But labour lost it was to weene approch him neare For as the winged wind his Tigre fled That vew of eye could scarse him ouertake Ne scarse his feet on ground were seene to tred Through hils and dales he speedie way did make Ne hedge ne ditch his readie passage brake And in his flight the villein turn'd his face As wonts the Tartar by the Caspian lake When as the Russian him in fight does chace Vnto his Tygres taile and shot at him apace Apace he shot and yet he fled apace Still as the greedy knight nigh to him drew And oftentimes he would relent his pace That him his foe more fiercely should pursew Who when his vncouth manner he did vew He gan auize to follow him no more But keepe his standing and his shaftes eschew Vntill he quite had spent his perlous store And then assayle him fresh ere he could shift for more But that lame Hag still as abroad he strew His wicked arrowes gathered them againe And to him brought fresh battell to renew Which he espying cast her to restraine From yielding succour to that cursed Swaine And her attaching thought her hands to tye But soone as him dismounted on the plaine That other Hag did farre away espy Binding her sister she to him ran hastily And catching hold of him as downe he lent Him backward ouerthrew and downe him stayd With their rude hands and griefly graplement Till that the ville in comming to their aye Vpon him fell and lode vpon him layd Full litle wanted but he had him slaine And of the battell balefull end had made Had not his gentle Squire beheld his paine And commen to his reskew ere his bitter bane So greatest and most glorious thing on ground May often need the helpe of weaker hand So feeble is mans state and life vnsound That in assurance it may neuer stand Till it dissolued be from earthly band Proofe be thou Prince the prowest man aliue And noblest borne of all in Briton land Yet thee fierce Fortune did so nearely driue That had not grace thee blest thou shouldest not reuiue The Squire arriuing fiercely in his armes Snatcht first the one and then the other Iade His chiefest lets and authors of his harmes And them perforce withheld with threatned blade Least that his Lord they should behind inuade The whiles the Prince prickt with reprochfull shame As one awakt out of long slombring shade Reuiuing thought of glorie and of fame Vnited all his powres to purge himselfe from blame Like as a fire the which in hollow caue Hath long bene vnderkept and downe supprest With murmurous disdaine doth inly raue And grudge in so streight prison to be prest At last breakes forth with furious vnrest And striues to mount vnto his natiue seat All that did earst it hinder and molest It now deuoures with flames and scorching heat And carries into smoake with rage and horror great So mightily the Briton Prince him rouzd Out of his hold and broke his caitiue bands And as a Beare whom angry curres haue touzd Hauing off-shakt them and escapt their hands Becomes more fell and all that him withstands Treads downe and ouerthrowes Now had the Carle Alighted from his Tigre and his hands Discharged of his bow and deadly quar'le To seize vpon his foe flat lying on the marle Which now him turnd to disauantage deare For neither can he fly nor other harme But trust vnto his strength and manhood meare Sith now he is farre from his monstrous swarme And of his weapons did himselfe disarme The knight yet wrothfull for his late disgrace Fiercely aduaunst his valorous right arme And him so sore smote with his yron mace That groueling to the ground he fell and fild his place Well weened he that field was then his owne And all his labour brought to happie end When suddein vp the villein ouerthrowne Out of his swowne arose fresh to contend And gan himselfe to second battell bend As hurt he had not bene Thereby there lay An huge great stone
Yet nought they feard but past on hardily Vntill they came in vew of those wild beasts Who all attonce gaping full greedily And rearing fiercely their vpstarting crests Ran towards to deuoure those vnexpected guests But soone as they approcht with deadly threat The Palmer ouer them his staffe vpheld His mighty staffe that could all charmes defeat Eftsoones their stubborne courages were queld And high aduaunced crests downe meekely feld In stead of fraying they them selues did feare And trembled as them passing they beheld Such wondrous powre did in that staffe appeare All monsters to subdew to him that did it beare Of that same wood it fram'd was cunningly Of which Caduceus whilome was made Caduceus the rod of Mercury With which he wonts the Stygian realmes inuade Through ghastly horrour and eternall shade Th' infernall feends with it he can asswage And Orcus tame whom nothing can perswade And rule the Furyes when they most do rage Such vertue in his staffe had eke this Palmer sage Thence passing forth they shortly do arriue Whereas the Bowre of Blisse was situate A place pick out by choice of best aliue That natures worke by art can imitate In which what euer in this worldly state Is sweet and pleasing vnto liuing sense Or that may dayntiest fantasie aggrate Was poured forth with plentifull dispence And made there to abound with lauish affluence Goodly it was enclosed round about Aswell their entred guestes to keepe within As those vnruly beasts to hold without Yet was the fence thereof but weake and thin Nought feard their force that fortilage to win But wisedomes powre and temperaunces might By which the mightiest things efforced bin And eke the gate was wrought of substaunce light Rather for pleasure then for battery or fight Yt framed was of precious yuory That seemd a worke of admirable wit And therein all the famous history Of Iason and Medaea was ywrit Her mighty charmes her furious louing fit His goodly conquest of the golden fleece His falsed faith and loue too lightly flit The wondred Argo which in venturous peece First through the Euxine seas bore all the flowr of Greece Ye might haue seene the frothy billowes fry Vnder the ship as thorough them she went That seemd the waues were into yuory Or yuory into the waues were sent And other where the snowy substaunce sprent With vermell like the boyes bloud therein shed A piteous spectacle did represent And otherwhiles with gold besprinkeled Yt seemd th'enchaunted flame which did Creiisa wed All this and more might in that goodly gate Be red that euer open stood to all Which thither came but in the Porch there sate A comely personage of stature tall And semblaunce pleasing more then naturall That trauellers to him seemd to entize His looser garment to the ground did fall And flew about his heeles in wanton wize Not fit for speedy pace or manly exercize They in that place him Genius did call Not that celestiall powre to whom the care Of life and generation of all That liues pertaines in charge particulare Who wondrous things concerning our welfare And straunge phantomes doth let vs oft forsee And oft of secret ill bids vs beware That is our Selfe whom though we do not see Yet each doth in him selfe it well perceiue to bee Therefore a God him sage Antiquity Did wisely make and good Agdistes call But this same was to that quite contrary The foe of life that good enuyes to all That secretly doth vs procure to fall Through guilefull semblaunts which he makes vs see He of this Gardin had the gouernall And Pleasures porter was deuizd to bee Holding a staffe in hand for more formalitee With diuerse flowres he daintily was deckt And strowed round about and by his side A mighty Mazer bowle of wine was set As if it had to him bene sacrifide Wherewith all new-come guests he gratifide So did he eke Sir Guyon passing by But he his idle curtesie defide And ouerthrew his bowle disdainfully And broke his staffe with which he charmed semblants sly Thus being entred they behold around A large and spacious plaine on euery side Strowed with pleasauns whose faire grassy ground Mantled with grenee and goodly beautifide With all the ornaments of Floraes pride Wherewith her mother Art as halfe in scome Of niggard Nature like a pompous bride Did decke her and too lauishly adorne When forth from virgin bowre she comes in th' early morne Thereto the Heauens alwayes Iouiall Lookt on them louely still in stedfast state Ne suffred storme nor frost on them to fall Their tender buds or leaues to violate Nor scorching heat nor cold intemperate Tafflict the crearures which therein did dwell But the milde aire with season moderate Gently attempred and disposd so well That still it breathed forth sweet spirit holesome smell More sweet and holesome then the pleasaunt hill Of Rhodope on which the Nimphe that bore A gyaunt babe her selfe for griefe did kill Or the Thessalian Tempe where of yore Faire Daphne Phoebus hart with loue did gore Or Ida where the Gods lou'd to repaire When euer they their heauenly bowres forlore Or sweet Parnasse the ha unt of Muses faire Of Eden if ought with Eden mote compaire Much wondred Guyon at the faire aspect Of that sweet place yet suffred no delight To sincke into his sence nor mind affect But passed forth and lookt still forward right Bridling his will and maistering his might Till that he came vnto another gate No gate but like one being goodly dight With boughes and braunches which did broad dilate Their clasping armes in wanton wreathings intricate So fashioned a Porch with rare deuice Archt ouer head with an embracing vine Whose bounches hanging downe seemed to entice All passers by to tast their lushious wine And did themselues into their hands incline As freely offering to be gathered Some deepe empurpled as the Hyacint Some as the Rubine laughing sweetly red Some like faire Emeraudes not yet well ripened And them amongst some were of burnisht gold So made by art to beautifie the rest Which did themselues emongst the leaues enfold As lurking from the vew of couetous guest That the weake bowes with so rich load opprest Did bow adowne as ouer-burdened Vnder that Porch a comely dame did rest Clad in faire weedes but fowle disordered And garments loose that seemd vnmeet for womanhed In her left hand a Cup of gold she held And with her right the riper fruit did reach Whose sappy liquor that with fulnesse sweld Into her cup she scruzd with daintie breach Of her fine fingers without fowle empeach That so faire wine-presse made the wine more sweet Thereof she vsd to giue to drinke to each Whom passing by she happened to meet It was her guise all Straungers goodly so to greet So she to Gayon offred it to tast Who taking it out of her tender hond The cup to ground did violently cast That all in pecces it was broken fond And with the liquor
was that woman this that deadly wound That Proteus prophecide should him dismay The which his mother vainely did expound To be hart-wounding loue which should assay To bring her sonne vnto his last decay So tickle be the termes of mortall state And full of subtile sophismes which do play With double senses and with false debate Tapproue the vnknowen purpose of eternall fate Too true the famous Marinell it fownd Who through late triall on that wealthy Strond Inglorious now lies in senselesse swownd Through heauy stroke of Britomartis hond Which when his mother deare did vnderstond And heauy tydings heard whereas she playd Amongst her watry sisters by a pond Gathering sweet daffadillyes to haue made Gay girlonds from the Sun their forheads faire to shade Eftsoones both flowres and girlonds farre away She flong and her faire deawy lockes yrent To sorrow huge she turnd her former play And gameson merth to grieuous dreriment She threw her selfe downe on the Continent Ne word did speake but lay as in a swowne Whiles all her sisters did for her lament With yelling outcries and with shrieking sowne And euery one did teare her girlond from her crowne Soone as she vp out of her deadly fit Arose she bad her charet to be brought And all her sisters that with her did sit Bad eke attonce their charets to be sought Tho full of bitter griefe and pensiue thought She to her wagon clombe clombe all the rest And forth together went with sorrow fraught The waues obedient to their beheast Them yielded readie passage and their rage surceast Great Neptune stood amazed at their sight Whiles on his broad round backe they softly slid And eke himselfe mournd at their mournfull plight Yet wist not what their wailing ment yet did For great compassion of their sorrow bid His mightie waters to them buxome bee Eftsoones the roaring billowes still abid And all the griefly Monsters of the See Stood gaping at their gate and wondred them to see A teme of Dolphins raunged in aray Drew the smooth charet of sad Cymoent They were all taught by Triton to obay To the long traines at her commaundement As swift as swallowes on the waues they went That their broad flaggie finnes no fome did reare Ne bubbling roundell they behind them sent The rest of other fishes drawen weare Which with their finny oars the swelling sea did sheare Soone as they bene arriu'd vpon the brim Of the Rich strond their charets they forlore And let their temed fishes softly swim Along the margent of the fomy shore Least they their finnes should bruze and surbate sore Their tender feet vpon the stony ground And comming to the place where all in gore And cruddy bloud enwallowed they found The lucklesse Marinell lying in deadly swound His mother swowned thrise and the third time Could scarce recouered be out of her paine Had she not bene deuoyd of mortall slime She should not then haue bene reliu'd againe But soone as life recouered had the raine She made so piteous mone and deare wayment That the hard rocks could scarse from teares refraine And all her sister Nymphes with one consent Supplide her sobbing breaches with sad complement Deare image of my selfe she said that is The wretched sonne of wretched mother borne Is this thine high aduauncement ô is this Th' immortall name with which thee yet vnborne Thy Gransire Nereus promist to adorne Now lyest thou of life and honor reft Now lyest thou a lumpe of earth forlorne Ne of thy late life memory is left Ne can thy irreuocable destiny be weft Fond Proteus father of false prophecis And they more fond that credit to thee giue Not this the worke of womans hand ywis That so deepe wound through these deare members driue I feared loue but they that loue do liue But they that die doe neither loue nor hate Nath'lesse to thee thy folly I forgiue And to my selfe and to accursed fate The guilt I doe ascribe deare wisedome bought too late O what auailes it of immortall seed To beene ybred and neuer borne to die Farre better I it deeme to die with speed Then waste in woe and wailefull miserie Who dyes the vtmost dolour doth abye But who that liues is left to waile his losse So life is losse and death felicitie Sad life worse then glad death and greater crosse To see friends graue thē dead the graue selfe to engrosse But if the heauens did his dayes enuie And my short blisse maligne yet mote they well Thus much afford me ere that he did die That the dim eyes of my deare Marinell I mote haue closed and him bed farewell Sith other offices for mother meet They would not graunt Yet maulgre them farewell my sweetest sweet Farewell my sweetest sonne sith we no more shall meet Thus when they all had sorrowed their fill They softly gan to search his griesly wound And that they might him handle more at will They him disarm'd and spredding on the ground Their watchet mantles frindgd with siluer round They softly wipt away the gelly blood From th'orifice which hauing well vpbound They pourd in soueraine balme and Nectar good Good both for earthly med'cine and for heauenly food Tho when the lilly handed Liagore This Liagore whylome had learned skill In leaches craft by great Appolloes lore Sith her whylome vpon high Pindus hill He loued and at last her wombe did fill With heauenly seed whereof wise Paeon sprong Did feele his pulse she knew their staied still Some litle life his feeble sprites emong Which to his mother told despeire she from her flong Tho vp him taking in their tender hands They easily vnto her charet beare Her teme at her commaundement quiet stands Whiles they the corse into her wagon reare And strow with flowres the lamentable beare Then all the rest into their coches clim And through the brackish waues their passage sheare Vpon great Neptunes necke they softly swim And to her watry chamber swiftly carry him Deepe in the bottome of the sea her bowre Is built of hollow billowes heaped hye Like to thicke cloudes that threat a stormy showre And vauted all within like to the sky In which the Gods do dwell eternally There they him laid in easie couch well dight And sent in haste for Tryphon to apply Salues to his wounds and medicines of might For Tryphon of sea gods the soueraine leach is hight The whiles the Nymphes sit all about him round Lamenting his mishap and heauy plight And oft his mother vewing his wide wound Cursed the hand that did so deadly smight Her dearest sonne her dearest harts delight But none of all those curses ouertooke The warlike Maid th'ensample of that might But fairely well she thriu'd and well did brooke Her noble deeds ne her right course for ought forsooke Yet did false Archimage her still pursew To bring to passe his mischieuous intent Now that he had her singled from the crew Of courteous knights the Prince and Faery
A fit occasion for his turne to find False loue why do men say thou canst not see And in their foolish fancie feigne thee blind That with thy charmes the sharpest sight doest bind And to thy will abuse Thou walkest free And seest euery secret of the mind Thou seest all yet none at all sees thee All that is by the working of thy Deitee So perfect in that art was Paridell That he Melbeccoes halfen eye did wyle His halfen eye he wiled wondrous well And Hellenors both eyes did eke beguyle Both eyes and hart attonce during the whyle That he there soiourned his wounds to heale That Cupid selfe it seeing close did smyle To weet how he her loue away did steale And bad that none their ioyous treason should reueale The learned louer lost no time nor tyde That least auantage mote to him afford Yet bore so faire a saile that none espyde His secret drift till he her layd abord When so in open place and commune bord He fortun'd her to meet with commune speach He courted her yet bayted euery word That his vngentle hoste n'ote him appeach Of vile vngentlenesse or hospitages breach But when apart if euer her apart He found then his false engins fast he plyde And all the sleights vnbosomd in his hart He sigh'd he sobd he swownd he perdy dyde And cast himselfe on ground her fast besyde Tho when againe he him bethought to liue He wept and wayld and false laments belyde Saying but if she Mercie would him giue That he mote algates dye yet did his death forgiue And otherwhiles with amorous delights And pleasing toyes he would her entertaine Now singing sweetly to surprise her sprights Now making layes of loue and louers paine Bransles Ballads virelayes and verses vaine Oft purposes oft riddles he deuysd And thousands like which flowed in his braine With which he fed her fancie and entysd To take to his new loue and leaue her old despysd And euery where he might and euery while He did her seruice dewtifull and sewed At hand with humble pride and pleasing guile So closely yet that none but she it vewed Who well perceiued all and all indewed Thus finely did he his false nets dispred With which he many weake harts had subdewed Of yore and many had ylike misled What wonder then if she were likewise carried No fort so sensible no wals so strong But that continuall battery will riue Or daily siege through dispuruayance long And lacke of reskewes will to parley driue And Peace that vnto parley eare will giue Will shortly yeeld it selfe and will be made The vassall of the victors will by liue That stratageme had oftentimes assayd This crafty Paramoure and now it plaine displayd For through his traines he her intrapped hath That she her loue and hart hath wholy sold To him without regard of gaine or scath Or care of credite or of husband old Whom she hath vow'd to dub a faire Cucquold Nought wants but time and place which shortly shee Deuized hath and to her louer told It pleased well So well they both agree So readie rype to ill ill wemens counsels bee Darke was the Euening fit for louers stealth When chaunst Melbecco busie be elsewhere She to his closet went where all his wealth Lay hid thereof she countlesse summes did reare The which she meant away with her to beare The rest she fyr'd for sport or for despight As Hellene when she saw aloft appeare The Troiane flames and reach to heauens hight Did clap her hands and ioyed at that dolefull sight This second Hellene faire Dame Hellenore The whiles her husband ranne with sory haste To quench the flames which she had tyn'd before Laught at his foolish labour spent in waste And ranne into her louers armes right fast Where streight embraced she to him did cry And call aloud for helpe ere helpe were past For loe that Guest would beare her forcibly And meant to rauish her that rather had to dy The wretched man hearing her call for ayd And readie seeing him with her to fly In his disquiet mind was much dismayd But when againe he backward cast his eye And saw the wicked fire so furiously Consume his hart and scorch his Idoles face He was therewith distressed diuersly Ne wist he how to turne nor to what place Was neuer wretched man in such a wofull cace Ay when to him she cryde to her he turnd And left the fire loue money ouercame But when he marked how his money burnd He left his wife money did loue disclame Both was he loth to loose his loued Dame And loth to leaue his liefest pelfe behind Yet sith he n'ote saue both he sau'd that same Which was the dearest to his donghill mind The God of his desire the ioy of misers blind Thus whilest all things in troublous vprore were And all men busie to suppresse the flame The louing couple need no reskew feare But leasure had and libertie to frame Their purpost flight free from all mens reclame And Night the patronesse of loue-stealth faire Gaue them safe conduct till to end they came So bene they gone yfeare a wanton paire Of louers loosely knit where list them to repaire Soone as the cruell flames yslaked were Malbecco seeing how his losse did lye Out of the flames which he had quencht whylere Into huge waues of griefe and gealosye Full deepe emplonged was and drowned nye Twixt inward doole and felonous despight He rau'd he wept he stampt he lowd did cry And all the passions that in man may light Did him attonce oppresse and vex his caytiue spright Long thus he chawd the cud of inward griefe And did consume his gall with anguish sore Still when he mused on his late mischiefe Then still the smart thereof increased more And seem'd more grieuous then it was before At last when sorrow he saw booted nought Ne griefe might not his loue to him restore He gan deuise how her he reskew mought Ten thousand wayes he cast in his confused thought At last resoluing like a pilgrim pore To seach her forth where so she might be fond And bearing with him treasure in close store The rest he leaues in ground So takes in hond To seeke her endlong both by sea and lond Long he her sought he sought her farre and nere And euery where that he mote vnderstond Of knights and ladies any meetings were And of eachone he met he tydings did inquere But all in vaine his woman was too wise Euer to come into his clouch againe And he too simple euer to surprise The iolly Paridell for all his paine One day as he forpassed by the plaine With weary pace he farre away espide A couple seeming well to be his twaine Which houed close vnder a forrest side As if they lay in waite or else themselues did hide Well weened he that those the same mote bee And as he better did their shape auize Him seemed more their manner did agree For
his mistrustfull eyes And nicely trode as thornes lay in his way Or that the flore to shrinke he did auyse And on a broken reed he still did stay His feeble steps which shrunke when hard theron he lay With him went Daunger cloth ' in ragged weed Made of Beares skin that him more dreadfull made Yet his owne face was dreadfull ne did need Straunge horrour to deforme his griesly shade A net in th' one hand and a rustie blade In th' other was this Mischiefe that Mishap With th' one his foes he threatned to inuade With th' other he his friends ment to enwrap For whom he could not kill he practizd to entrap Next him was Feare all arm'd from top to toe Yet thought himselfe not safe enough thereby But feard each shadow mouing to and fro And his owne armes when glittering he did spy Or clashing heard he fast away did fly As ashes pale of hew and wingyheeld And euermore on daunger fixt his eye Gainst whom he alwaies bent a brasen shield Which his right hand vnarmed fearefully did wield With him went Hope in rancke a handsome Mayd Of chearefull looke and louely to behold In silken samite she was light arayd And her faire lockes were wouen vp in gold She alway smyld and in her hand did hold An holy water Sprinckle dipt in deowe With which she sprinckled fauours manifold On whom she list and did great liking sheowe Great liking vnto many but true loue to feowe And after them Dissemblance and Suspect Marcht in one rancke yet an vnequall paire For she was gentle and of milde aspect Courteous to all and seeming debonaire Goodly adorned and exceeding faire Yet was that all but painted and purloynd And her bright browes were deckt with borrowed haire Her deedes were forged and her words false coynd And alwaies in her hand two clewes of silke she twynd But he was foule ill fauoured and grim Vnder his eyebrowes looking still askaunce And euer as Dissemblance laught on him He lowrd on her with daungerous eyeglaunce Shewing his nature in his countenance His rolling eyes did neuer rest in place But walkt each where for feare of hid mischaunce Holding a lattice still before his face Through which he still did peepe as forward he did pace Next him went Griefe and Fury matcht yfere Griefe all in sable sorrowfully clad Downe hanging his dull head with heauy chere Yet inly being more then seeming sad A paire of Pincers in his hand he had With which he pinched people to the hart That from thenceforth a wretched life they lad In wilfull languor and consuming smart Dying each day with inward wounds of dolours dart But Fury was full ill appareiled In rags that naked nigh she did appeare With ghastly lookes and dreadfull drerihed For from her backe her garments she did teare And from her head oft rent her snarled heare In her right hand a firebrand she did tosse About her head still roming here and there As a dismayed Deare in chace embost Forgetfull of his safety hath his right way lost After them went Displeasure and Pleasance He looking lompish and full sullein sad And hanging downe his heauy countenance She chearefull fresh and full of ioyance glad As if no sorrow she ne felt ne drad That euill matched paire they seemd to bee An angry Waspe th' one in a viall had Th' other in hers an hony-lady Bee Thus marched these sixe couples forth in faire degree After all these there marcht a most faire Dame Led of two grysie villeins th' one Despight The other cleped Cruelty by name She dolefull Lady like a dreary Spright Cald by strong charmes out of eternall night Had deathes owne image figurd in her face Full of sad signes fearefull to liuing sight Yet in that horror shewd a seemely grace And with her feeble feet did moue a comely pace Her brest all naked as net iuory Without adorne of gold or siluer bright Wherewith the Craftesman wonts it beautify Of her dew honour was despoyled quight And a wide wound therein O ruefull sight Entrenched deepe with knife accursed keene Yet freshly bleeding forth her fainting spright The worke of cruell hand was to be seene That dyde in sanguine red her skin all snowy cleene At that wide orisice her trembling hart Was drawne forth and in siluer basin layd Quite through transfixed with a deadly dart And in her bloud yet steeming fresh embayd And those two villeins which her steps vpstayd When her weake feete could scarcely her sustaine And fading vitall powers gan to fade Her forward still with torture did constraine And euermore encreased her consuming paine Next after her the winged God himselfe Came riding on a Lion rauenous Taught to obay the menage of that Elfe That man and beast with powre imperious Subdeweth to his knigdome tyrannous His blindfold eyes he bad a while vnbind That his proud spoyle of that same dolorous Faire Dame he might behold in perfect kind Which seene he much reioyced in his cruell mind Of which full proud himselfe vp rearing hye He looked round about with sterne disdaine And did suruay his goodly company And marshalling the euill ordered traine With that the darts which his right did straine Full dreadfully he shooke that all did quake And clapt on hie his coulourd winges twaine That all his many it affraide did make Tho blinding him againe his way he forth did take Behinde him was Reproch Repentance Shame Reproch the first Shame next Repent behind Repentance feeble sorrowfull and lame Reproch despightfull carelesse and vnkind Shame most ill fauourd bestiall and blind Shame lowrd Repentance sigh'd Reproch did scould Reproch sharpe stings Repentance whips entwind Shame burning brond-yrons in her hand did hold All three to each vnlike yet all made in one mould And after them a rude confused rout Of persons flockt whose names is hard to read Emongst them was sterne Strife and Anger stout Vnquiet Care and fond Vnthriftihead Lewd Losse of Time and Sorrow seeming dead Inconstant Chaunge and false Disloyaltie Consuming Riotise and guilty Dread Of heauenly vengeance faint Infirmitie Vile Pouertie and lastly Death with infamie There were full many moe like maladies Whose names and natures I note readen well So many moe as there be phantasies In wauering wemens wit that none can tell Or paines in loue or punishments in hell And which disguized marcht in masking wise About the chamber with that Damozell And then returned hauing marched thrise Into the inner roome from whence they first did rise So soone as they were in the dore streight way Fast locked driuen with that stormy blast Which first it opened and bore all away Then the braue Maid which all this while was plast In secret shade and saw both first and last Issewed forth and went vnto the dore To enter in but found it locked fast It vaine she thought with rigorous vprore For to efforce when charmes had closed it afore Where force might not auaile their sleights and art
to despaire did turne Misdeeming sure that her those flames did burne And therefore gan aduize with her old Squire Who her deare nourslings losse no lesse did mourne Thence to depart for further aide t' enquire Where let them wend at will whilest here I doe respire A Vision vpon this conceipt of the Faery Queene ME thought I saw the graue where Laura lay Within that Temple where the vestall flame Was wont to burne and passing by that way To see that buried dust of liuing fame Whose tombe faire loue and fairer vertue kept All suddenly I saw the Faery Queene At whose approch the soule of Petrarke wept And from thenceforth those graces were not seene For they this Queene attended in whose steed Obliuion laid him downe on Lauras herse Hereat the hardest stones were seene to bleed And grones of buried ghostes the heauens did perse Where Homers spright did tremble all for griefe And curst th' accesse of that celestiall theife Another of the same THe prayse of meaner wits this worke like profit brings As doth the Cuckoes song delight when Philumena sings If thou hast formed right true vertues face herein Vertue her selfe can best discerne to whom they written bin If thou hast beautie praysd let her sole lookes diuine Iudge if ought therein be amis and mend it by her eine If Chastitie want ought or Temperance her dew Behold her Princely mind aright and write thy Queene anew Meane while she shall perceiue how farre her vertues sore Aboue the reach of all that liue or such as wrote of yore And thereby will excuse and fauour thy good will Whose vertue can not be exprest but by an Angels quill Of me no lines are lou'd nor letters are of price Of all which speake our English tongue but those of thy deuice W.R. To the learned Shepheard COllyn I see by thy new taken taske some sacred fury hath enricht thy braynes That leades thy muse in haughtie verse to maske and loath the layes that longs to lowly swaynes That lifts thy notes from Shepheardes vnto kings So like the liuely Larke that mounting sings Thy louely Rosolinde seemes now forlorne and all thy gentle flockes forgotten quight Thy chaunged hart now holdes thy pypes in scorne those prety pypes that did thy mates delight Those trustie mates that loued thee so well VVhom thou gau'st mirth as they gaue thee the bell Yet as thou earst with thy sweet roundelayes didst stirre to glee our laddes in homely bowers So moughtst thou now in these refyned layes delight the dainty eares of higher powers And so mought they in their deepe skanning skill Alow and grace our Collyns flowing quill And fare befall that Faerie Queene of thine in whose faire eyes loue linckt with vertue sits Enfusing by those bewties fiers deuine Such high conceites into thy humble wits As raised hath poore pastors oaten reede From rusticke tunes to chaunt heroique deedes So mought thy Redcrosse knight with happy hand victorious be in that faire Hands right VVhich thou doest vaile in Type of Faery land Elyzas blessed field that Albion hight That shieldes her friends and warres her mightie foes Yet still with people peace and plentie flowes But iolly Shepheard though with pleasing style thou feast the humour of the Courtly traine Let not conceipt thy setled sence beguile ne daunted be through enuy or disdaine Subiect thy dome to her Empyring spright From whence thy Muse and all the world takes light Hobynoll THE SECOND PART OF THE FAERIE QVEENE Containing THE FOVRTH FIFTH AND SIXTH BOOKES By Ed. Spenser ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London for VVilliam Ponsonby 1596. THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF THE FAERIE QVEENE Containing The Legend of CAMBEL and TELAMOND OR OF FRIENDSHIP THe rugged forhead that with graue foresight Welds kingdomes causes affaires of state My looser rimes I wote doth sharply wite For praising loue as I haue done of late And magnifying louers deare debate By which fraile youth is oft to follie led Through false allurement of that pleasing baite That better were in vertues discipled Then with vaine poemes weeds to haue their fancies fed Such ones ill iudge of loue that cannot loue Ne in their frosen hearts feele kindly flame For thy they ought not thing vnknowne reproue Ne naturall affection faultlesse blame For fault of few that haue abusd the same For it of honor and all vertue is The roote and brings forth glorious flowres of fame That crowne true louers with immortall blis The meed of them that loue and do not liue amisse Which who so list looke backe to former ages And call to count the things that then were donne Shall find that all the workes of those wise sages And braue exploits which great Heroes wonne In loue were either ended or begunne Witnesse the father of Philosophie Which to his Critias shaded oft from sunne Of loue full manie lessons did apply The which these Stoicke censours cannot well deny To such therefore I do not sing at all But to that sacred Saint my soueraigne Queene In whose chast breast all bountie naturall And treasures of true loue enlocked beene Boue all her sexe that euer yet was seene To her I sing of loue that loueth best And best is lou'd of all aliue I weene To her this song most fitly is addrest The Queene of loue Prince of peace frō heauen blest Which that she may the better deigne to heare Do thou dred infant Venus dearling doue From her high spirit chase imperious feare And vse of awfull Maiestie remoue In sted thereof with drops of melting loue Deawd with ambrosiall kisses by thee gotten From thy sweete smyling mother from aboue Sprinckle her heart and haughtie courage soften That she may hearke to loue and reade this lesson often Cant. I. Fayre Britomart saues Amoret Duessa discord breedes Twixt Scudamour and Blandamour Their fight and warlike deedes OF louers sad calamities of old Full many piteous stories doe remaine But none more piteous euer was ytold Then that of Amorets hart-binding chaine And this of Florimels vnworthie paine The deare compassion of whose bitter fit My softened heart so sorely doth constraine That I with teares full oft doe pittie it And oftentimes doe wish it neuer had bene writ For from the time that Scudamour her bought In perilous fight she neuer ioyed day A perilous fight when he with force her brought From twentie Knights that did him all assay Yet fairely well he did them all dismay And with great glorie both the shield of loue And eke the Ladie selfe he brought away Whom hauing wedded as did him behoue A new vnknowen mischiefe did from him remoue For that same vile Enchauntour Busyran The very selfe same day that she was wedded Amidst the bridale feast whilest euery man Surcharg'd with wine were heedlesse and ill hedded All bent to mirth before the bride was bedded Brought in that mask of loue which late was showen And there the Ladie ill of friends bestedded By way of sport as oft
Paridel resynd Nathlesse he forth did march well as he might And made good semblance to his companie Dissembling his disease and euill plight Till that ere long they chaunced to espie Two other knights that towards them did ply With speedie course as bent to charge them new Whom when as Blandamour approching nie Perceiu'd to be such as they seemd in vew He was full wo and gan his former griefe renew For th' one of them he perfectly descride To be Sir Scudamour by that he bore The God of loue with wings displayed wide Whom mortally he hated euermore Both for his worth that all men did adore And eke because his loue he wonne by right Which when he thought it grieued him full sore That through the bruses of his former fight He now vnable was to wreake his old despight For thy he thus to Paridel bespake Faire Sir offriendship let me now you pray That as I late aduentured for your sake The hurts whereof me now from battell stay Ye will me now with like good turne repay And iustifie my cause on yonder knight Ah Sir said Paridel do not dismay Your selfe for this my selfe will for you fight As ye haue done for me the left hand rubs the right With that he put his spurres vnto his steed With speare in rest and toward him did fare Like shaft out of a bow preuenting speed But Scudamour was shortly well aware Of his approch and gan him selfe prepare Him to receiue with entertainment meete So furiously they met that either bare The other downe vnder their horses feete That what of them became themselues did scarsly weete As when two billowes in the Irish sowndes Forcibly driuen with contrarie tydes Do meete together each abacke rebowndes With roaring rage and dashing on all sides That filleth all the sea with some diuydes The doubtfull current into diuers wayes So fell those two in spight of both their prydes But Scudamour himselfe did soone vprayse And mounting light his foe for lying long vpbrayes Who rolled on an heape lay still in swound All carelesse of his taunt and bitter rayle Till that the rest him seeing lie on ground Ran hastily to weete what did him ayle Where finding that the breath gan him to fayle With busie care they stroue him to awake And doft his helmet and vndid his mayle So much they did that at the last they brake His slomber yet so mazed that he nothing spake Which when as Blandamour beheld he sayd False faitour Scudamour that hast by slight And foule aduantage this good Knight dismayd A Knight much better then thy selfe behight Well falles it thee that I am not in plight This day to wreake the dammage by thee donne Such is thy wont that still when any Knight Is weakned then thou doest him ouerronne So hast thou to thy selfe false honour often wonne He little answer'd but in manly heart His mightie indignation did forbeare Which was not yet so secret but some part Thereof did in his frouning face appeare Like as a gloomie cloud the which doth beare An hideous storme is by the Northerne blast Quite ouerblowne yet doth not passe so cleare But that it all the skie doth ouercast With darknes dred and threatens all the world to wast Ah gentle knight then false Duessa sayd Why do ye striue for Ladies loue so sore Whose chiefe desire is loue and friendly aid Mongst gentle Knights to nourish euermore Ne be ye wroth Sir Scudamour therefore That she your loue list loue another knight Ne do your selfe dislike a whit the more For Loue is free and led with selfe delight Ne will enforced be with maisterdome or might So false Duessa but vile Ate thus Both foolish knights I can but laugh at both That striue and storme with stirre outrageous For her that each of you alike doth loth And loues another with whom now she goth In louely wise and sleepes and sports and playes Whilest both you here with many a cursed oth Sweare she is yours and stirre vp bloudie frayes To win a willow bough whilest other weares the bayes Vile hag sayd Scudamour why dost thou lye And falsly seekst a vertuous wight to shame Fond knight sayd she the thing that with this eye I saw why should I doubt to tell the same Then tell quoth Blandamour and feare no blame Tell what thou saw'st maulgre who so it heares I saw quoth she a stranger knight whose name I wote not well but in his shield he beares That well I wote the heads of many broken speares I saw him haue your Amoret at will I saw him kisse I saw him her embrace I saw him sleepe with her all night his fill All manie nights and manie by in place That present were to testifie the case Which when as Scudamour did heare his heart Was thrild with inward griefe as when in chace The Parthian strikes a stag with shiuering dart The beast astonisht stands in middest of his smart So stood Sir Scudamour when this he heard Ne word he had to speake for great dismay But lookt on Glauce grim who woxe afeard Of outrage for the words which she heard say Albee vntrue she wist them by assay But Blandamour whenas he did espie His chaunge of cheere that anguish did bewray He woxe full blithe as he had got thereby And gan thereat to triumph without victorie Lo recreant sayd he the fruitlesse end Of thy vaine boast and spoile of loue misgotten Whereby the name of knight-hood thou dost shend And all true louers with dishonor blotten All things not rooted well will soone be rotten Fy fy false knight then false Duessa cryde Vnworthy life that loue with guile hast gotten Be thou where euer thou do go or ryde Loathed of ladies all and of all knights defyde But Scudamour for passing great despight Staid not to answer scarcely did refraine But that in all those knights and ladies sight He for reuenge had guiltlesse Glauce slaine But being past he thus began amaine False traitour squire false squire of falsest knight Why doth mine hand from thine auenge abstaine Whose Lord hath done my loue this soule despight Why do I not it wreake on thee now in my might Discourteous disloyall Britomart Vntrue to God and vnto man vniust What vengeance due can equall thy desart That hast with shamefull spot of sinfull lust Defil'd the pledge committed to thy trust Let vgly shame and endlesse infamy Colour thy name with foule reproaches rust Yet thou false Squire his fault shalt deare aby And with thy punishment his penance shalt supply The aged Dame him seeing so enraged Was dead with feare nathlesse as neede required His flaming furie sought to haue assuaged With sober words that sufferance desired Till time the tryall of her truth expyred And euermore sought Britomart to cleare But he the more with furious rage was fyred And thrise his hand to kill her did vpreare And thrise he drew it backe so did at last forbeare Cant. II.
blew With that they both together fiercely met As if that each ment other to deuoure And with their axes both so sorely bet That neither plate nor mayle whereas their powre They felt could once sustaine the hideous stowre But riued were like rotten wood a sunder Whilest through their rifts the ruddie bloud did showre And fire did flash like lightning after thunder That fild the lookers on attonce with ruth and wonder As when two Tygers prickt with hungers rage Haue by good fortune found some beasts fresh spoyle On which they weene their famine to asswage And gaine a feastfull guerdon of their toyle Both falling out doe stirre vp strifefull broyle And cruell battell twixt themselues doe make Whiles neither lets the other touch the soyle But either sdeignes with other to partake So cruelly these Knights stroue for that Ladies sake Full many strokes that mortally were ment The whiles were enterchaunged twixt them two Yet they were all with so good wariment Or warded or auoyded and let goe That still the life stood fearelesse of her foe Till Diamond disdeigning long delay Of doubtfull fortune wauering to and fro Resolu'd to end it one or other way And heau'd his murdrous axe at him with mighty sway The dreadfull stroke in case it had arriued Where it was ment so deadly it was ment The soule had sure out of his bodie riued And stinted all the strife incontinent But Cambels fate that fortune did preuent For seeing it at hand he swaru'd asyde And so gaue way vnto his fell intent Who missing of the marke which he had eyde Was with the force nigh feld whilst his right foot did slyde As when a Vulture greedie of his pray Through hunger long that hart to him doth lend Strikes at an Heron with all his bodies sway That from his force seemes nought may it defend The warie fowle that spies him toward bend His dreadfull souse auoydes it shunning light And maketh him his wing in vaine to spend That with the weight of his owne weeldlesse might He falleth nigh to ground and scarse recouereth flight Which faire aduenture when Cambello spide Full lightly ere himselfe he could recower From daungers dread to ward his naked side He can let driue at him with all his power And with his axe him smote in euill hower That from his shoulders quite his head he rest The headlesse tronke as heedlesse of that stower Stood still a while and his fast footing kept Till feeling life to fayle it fell and deadly slept They which that piteous spectacle beheld Were much amaz'd the headlesse tronke to see Stand vp so long and weapon vaine to weld Vnweeting of the Fates diuine decree For lifes succession in those brethren three For notwithstanding that one soule was reft Yet had the bodie not dismembred bee It would haue liued and reuiued eft But finding no fit seat the lifelesse corse it left It left but that same soule which therein dwelt Streight entring into Triamond him fild With double life and griefe which when he felt As one whose inner parts had bene ythrild With point of steele that close his hartbloud spild He lightly lept out of his place of rest And rushing forth into the emptie field Against Cambello fiercely him addrest Who him affronting soone to fight was readie prest Well mote ye wonder how that noble Knight After he had so often wounded beene Could stand on foot now to renew the fight But had ye then him forth aduauncing seene Some newborne wight ye would him surely weene So fresh he seemed and so fierce in sight Like as a Snake whom wearie winters teene Hath worne to nought now feeling sommers might Casts off his ragged skin and freshly doth him dight All was through vertue of the ring he wore The which not onely did not from him let One drop of bloud to fall but did restore His weakned powers and dulled spirits whet Through working of the stone therein yset Else how could one of equall might with most Against so many no lesse mightie met Once thinke to match three such on equall cost Three such as able were to match a puissant host Yet nought thereof was Triamond adredde Ne desperate of glorious victorie But sharpely him assayld and sore bestedde With heapes of strokes which he at him let flie As thicke as hayle forth poured from the skie He stroke he soust he foynd he hewd he lasht And did his yron brond so fast applie That from the same the fierie sparkles flasht As fast as water-sprinkles gainst a rocke are dasht Much was Cambello daunted with his blowes So thicke they fell and forcibly were sent That he was forst from daunger of the throwes Backe to retire and somewhat to relent Till th' heat of his fierce furie he had spent Which when for want of breath gan to abate He then afresh with new encouragement Did him assayle and mightily amate As fast as forward erst now backward to retrate Like as the tide that comes fro th' Ocean mayne Flowes vp the Shenan with contrarie forse And ouerruling him in his owne rayne Driues backe the current of his kindly course And makes it seeme to haue some other sourse But when the floud is spent then backe againe His borrowed waters forst to redisbourse He sends the sea his owne with double gaine And tribute eke withall as to his Soueraine Thus did the battell varie to and fro With diuerse fortune doubtfull to be deemed Now this the better had now had his fo Then he halfe vanquisht then the other seemed Yet victors both them selues alwayes esteemed And all the while the disentrayled blood Adowne their sides like litle riuers stremed That with the wasting of his vitall flood Sir Triamond at last full faint and feeble stood But Cambell still more strong and greater grew Ne felt his blood to wast ne powres emperisht Through that rings vertue that with vigour new Still when as he enfeebled was him cherisht And all his wounds and all his bruses guarisht Like as a withered tree through husbands toyle Is often seene full freshly to haue florisht And fruitfull apples to haue borne awhile As fresh as when it first was planted in the soyle Through which aduantage in his strength he rose And smote the other with so wondrous might That through die seame which did his hauberk close Into his throate and life it pierced quight That downe he fell as dead in all mens sight Yet dead he was not yet he sure did die As all men do that lose the liuing spright So did one soule out of his bodie flie Vnto her natiue home from mortall miserie But nathelesse whilst all the lookers on Him dead behight as he to all appeard All vnawares he started vp anon As one that had out of a dreame bene reard And fresh assayld his foe who halfe affeard Of th'vncouth sight as he some ghost had seene Stood still amaz'd holding his idle sweard Till hauing often by him
deeme this doutfull case for which they all cōtended But first was question made which of those Knights That lately turneyd had the wager wonne There was it iudged by those worthie wights That Satyrane the first day best had donne For he last ended hauing first begonne The second was to Triamond behight For that he sau'd the victour from fordonne For Cambell victour was in all mens sight Till by mishap he in his foemens hand did light The third dayes prize vnto that straunger Knight Whom all men term'd Knight of the Hebene speare To Britomart was giuen by good right For that with puissant stroke she downe did beare The Saluage Knight that victour was whileare And all the rest which had the best afore And to the last vnconquer'd did appeare For last is deemed best To her therefore The fayrest Ladie was adiudgd for Paramore But thereat greatly grudged Arthegall And much repynd that both of victors meede And eke of honour she did him forestall Yet mote he not withstand what was decreede But inly thought of that despightfull deede Fit time t'awaite auenged for to bee This being ended thus and all agreed Then next ensew'd the Paragon to see Of beauties praise and yeeld the fayrest her due fee. Then first Cambello brought vnto their view His faire Cambina couered with a veale Which being once withdrawne most perfect hew And passing beautie did eftsoones reueale That able was weake harts away to steale Next did Sir Triamond vnto their sight The face of his deare Canacee vnheale Whose beauties beame eftsoones did shine so bright That daz'd the eyes of all as with exceeding light And after her did Paridell produce His false Duessa that she might be seene Who with her forged beautie did seduce The hearts of some that fairest her did weene As diuerse wits affected diuers beene Then did Sir Ferramont vnto them shew His Lucida that was full faire and sheene And after these an hundred Ladies moe Appear'd in place the which each other did outgoe All which who so dare thinke for to enchace Him needeth sure a golden pen I weene To tell the feature of each goodly face For since the day that they created beene So many heauenly faces were not seene Assembled in one place ne he that thought For Chian folke to pourtraict beauties Queene By view of all the fairest to him brought So many faire did see as here he might haue sought At last the most redoubted Britonesse Her louely Amoret did open shew Whose face discouered plainely did expresse The heauenly pourtraict of bright Angels hew Well weened all which her that time did vew That she should surely beare the bell away Till Blandamour who thought he had the trew And very Florimell did her display The sight of whom once seene did all the rest dismay For all afore that seemed fayre and bright Now base and contemptible did appeare Compar'd to her that shone as Phebes light Amongst the lesser starres in euening cleare All that her saw with wonder rauisht weare And weend no mortall creature she should bee But some celestiall shape that flesh did beare Yet all were glad there Florimell to see Yet thought that Florimell was not so faire as shee As guilefull Goldsmith that by secret skill With golden foyle doth finely ouer spred Some baser metall which commend he will Vnto the vulgar for good gold insted He much more goodly glosse thereon doth shed To hide his falshood then if it were trew So hard this Idole was to be ared That Florimell her selfe in all mens vew She seem'd to passe so forged things do fairest shew Then was that golden belt by doome of all Graunted to her as to the fayrest Dame Which being brought about her middle small They thought to gird as best it her became But by no meanes they could it thereto frame For euer as they fastned it it loos'd And fell away as feeling secret blame Full oft about her wast she it enclos'd And it as oft was from about her wast disclos'd That all men wondred at the vncouth sight And each one thought as to their fancies came But she her selfe did thinke it doen for spight And touched was with secret wrath and shame Therewith as thing deuiz'd her to defame Then many other Ladies likewise tride About their tender loynes to knit the same But it would not on none of them abide But when they thought it fast eftsoones it was vntide Which when that scornefull Squire of Dames did vew He lowdly gan to laugh and thus to iest Alas for pittie that so faire a crew As like can not be seene from East to West Cannot find one this girdle to inuest Fie on the man that did it first inuent To shame vs all with this Vngirt vnblest Let neuer Ladie to his loue assent That hath this day so many so vnmanly shent Thereat all Knights gan laugh and Ladies lowre Till that at last the gentle Amoret Likewise assayd to proue that girdles powre And hauing it about her middle set Did find it fit withouten breach or let Whereat the rest gan greatly to enuie But Florimell exceedingly did fret And snatching from her hand halfe angrily The belt againe about her bodie gan it tie Yet nathemore would it her bodie fit Yet nathelesse to her as her dew right It yeelded was by them that iudged it And she her selfe adiudged to the Knight That bore the Hebene speare as wonne in fight But Britomart would not thereto assent Ne her owne Amoret forgoe so light For that strange Dame whose beauties wonderment She lesse esteem'd then th' others vertuous gouernment Whom when the rest did see her to refuse They were full glad in hope themselues to get her Yet at her choice they all did greatly muse But after that the Iudges did arret her Vnto the second best that lou'd her better That was the Saluage Knight but he was gone In great displeasure that he could not get her Then was she iudged Triamond his one But Triamond lou'd Canacee and other none Tho vnto Satyran she was adiudged Who was right glad to gaine so goodly meed But Blandamour thereat full greatly grudged And litle prays'd his labours euill speed That for to winne the saddle lost the steed Ne lesse thereat did Paridell complaine And thought t' appeale from that which was decreed To single combat with Sir Satyrane Thereto him Ate stird new discord to maintaine And eke with these full many other Knights She through her wicked working did incense Her to demaund and chalenge as their rights Deserued for their perils recompense Amongst the rest with boastfull vaine pretense Stept Braggadochio forth and as his thrall Her claym'd by him in battell wonne long sens Whereto her selfe he did to witnesse call Who being askt accordingly confessed all Thereat exceeding wroth was Satyran And wroth with Satyran was Blandamour And wroth with Blandamour was Eriuan And at them both Sir Paridell did loure So all together stird vp strifull
remoue But whether willed or nilled friend or foe I me resolu'd the vtmost end to proue And rather then my loue abandon so Both sire and friends and all for euer to forgo Thenceforth I sought by secret meanes to worke Time to my will and from his wrathfull sight To hide th' intent which in my heart did lurke Till I thereto had all things ready dight So on a day vnweeting vnto wight I with that Squire agreede away to flit And in a priuy place betwixt vs hight Within a groue appointed him to meete To which I boldly came vpon my feeble feete But ah vnhappy houre me thither brought For in that place where I him thought to find There was I found contrary to my thought Of this accursed Carle of hellish kind The shame of men and plague of womankind Who trussing me as Eagle doth his pray Me hether brought with him as swift as wind Where yet vntouched till this present day I rest his wretched thrall the sad AEmylia Ah sad AEmylia then sayd Amoret Thy ruefull plight I pitty as mine owne But read to me by what deuise or wit Hast thou in all this time from him vnknowne Thine honor sau'd though into thraldome throwne Through helpe quoth she of this old woman here I haue so done as she to me hath showne For euer when he burnt in lustfull fire She in my stead supplide his bestiall desire Thus of their euils as they did discourse And each did other much bewaile and mone Loe where the villaine selfe their sorrowes sourse Came to the caue and rolling thence the stone Which wont to stop the mouth thereof that none Might issue forth came rudely rushing in And spredding ouer all the flore alone Gan dight him selfe vnto his wonted sinne Which ended then his bloudy banket should beginne Which when as fearefull Amoret perceiued She staid not the vtmost end thereof to try But like a ghastly Gelt whose wits are reaued Ran forth in hast with hideous outcry For horrour of his shamefull villany But after her full lightly he vprose And her pursu'd as fast as she did flie Full fast she flies and farre afore him goes Ne feeles the thorns and thickets pricke her tender toes Nor hedge nor ditch nor hill nor dale she staies But ouerleapes them all like Robucke light And through the thickest makes her nighest waies And euermore when with regardfull sight She looking backe espies that griesly wight Approching nigh she gins to mend her pace And makes her feare a spur to hast her flight More swift then Myrrh ' or Daphne in her race Or any of the Thracian Nimphes in saluage chase Long so she fled and so he follow'd long Ne liuing aide for her on earth appeares But if the heauens helpe to redresse her wrong Moued with pity of her plenteous teares It fortuned Belphebe with her peares The woody Nimphs and with that louely boy Was hunting then the Libbards and the Beares In these wild woods as was her wonted ioy To banish sloth that oft doth noble mindes annoy It so befell as oft it fals in chace That each of them from other sundred were And that same gentle Squire arriu'd in place Where this same cursed caytiue did appeare Pursuing that faire Lady full of feare And now he her quite ouertaken had And now he her away with him did beare Vnder his arme as seeming wondrous glad That by his grenning laughter mote farre off be rad With drery sight the gentle Squire espying Doth hast to crosse him by the nearest way Led with that wofull Ladies piteous crying And him assailes with all the might he may Yet will not he the louely spoile downe lay But with his craggy club in his right hand Defends him selfe and saues his gotten pray Yet had it bene right hard him to withstand But that he was full light and nimble on the land Thereto the villaine vsed craft in fight For euer when the Squire his iauelin shooke He held the Lady forth before him right And with her body as a buckler broke The puissance of his intended stroke And if it chaunst as needs it must in fight Whilest he on him was greedy to be wroke That any little blow on her did light Then would he laugh aloud and gather great delight Which subtill sleight did him encumber much And made him oft when he would strike forbeare For hardly could he come the carle to touch But that he her must hurt or hazard neare Yet he his hand so carefully did beare That at the last he did himselfe attaine And therein left the pike head of his speare A streame of coleblacke bloud thence gusht amaine That all her silken garments did with bloud bestaine With that he threw her rudely on the flore And laying both his hands vpon his glaue With dreadfull strokes let driue at him so sore That forst him flie abacke himselfe to saue Yet he therewith so felly still did raue That scarse the Squire his hand could once vpreare But for aduantage ground vnto him gaue Tracing and trauersing now here now there For bootlesse thing it was to think such blowes to beare Whilest thus in battell they embusied were Belphebe raunging in that forrest wide The hideous noise of their huge strokes did heare And drew thereto making her eare her guide Whom when that theefe approching nigh espide With bow in hand and arrowes ready bent He by his former combate would not bide But fled away with ghastly dreriment Well knowing her to be his deaths sole instrument Whom seeing flie she speedily poursewed With winged feete as nimble as the winde And euer in her bow she ready shewed The arrow to his deadly marke desynde As when Latonaes daughter cruell kynde In vengement of her mothers great disgrace With fell despight her cruell arrowes tynde Gainst wofull Niobes vnhappy race That all the gods did mone her miserable case So well she sped her and so far she ventred That ere vnto his hellish den he raught Euen as he ready was there to haue entred She sent an arrow forth with mighty draught That in the very dore him ouercaught And in his nape arriuing through it thrild His greedy throte therewith in two distraught That all his vitall spirites thereby spild And all his hairy brest with gory bloud was fild Whom when on ground she groueling saw to rowle She ran in hast his life to haue berest But ere she could him reach the sinfull sowle Hauing his carrion corse quite sencelesse left Was fled to hell surcharg'd with spoile and theft Yet ouer him she there long gazing stood And oft admir'd his monstrous shape and oft His mighty limbs whilest all with filthy bloud The place there ouerflowne seemd like a sodaine flood Thenceforth she past into his dreadfull den Where nought but darkesome drerinesse she found Ne creature saw but hearkned now and then Some litle whispering and soft groning sound With that she askt what ghosts there vnder ground
Within his mouth a blacke spot doth appeare Shapt like a horses shoe who list to seeke it there Whereof to make due tryall one did take The horse in hand within his mouth to looke But with his heeles so sorely he him strake That all his ribs he quite in peeces broke That neuer word from that day forth he spoke Another that would seeme to haue more wit Him by the bright embrodered hedstall tooke But by the shoulder him so sore he bit That he him maymed quite and all his shoulder split Ne he his mouth would open vnto wight Vntill that Guyon selfe vnto him spake And called Brigadore so was he hight Whose voice so soone as he did vndertake Eftsoones he stood as still as any stake And suffred all his secret marke to see And when as he him nam'd for ioy he brake His bands and follow'd him with gladfull glee And friskt and flong aloft and louted low on knee Thereby Sir Artegall did plaine areed That vnto him the horse belong'd and sayd Lo there Sir Guyon take to you the steed As he with golden saddle is arayd And let that losell plainely now displayd Hence fare on foot till he an horse haue gayned But the proud boaster gan his doome vpbrayd And him reuil'd and rated and disdayned That iudegement so vniust against him had ordayned Much was the knight incenst with his lewd word To haue reuenged that his villeny And thrise did lay his hand vpon his sword To haue him slaine or dearely doen aby But Guyon did his choler pacify Saying Sir knight it would dishonour bee To you that are our iudge of equity To wreake your wrath on such a carle as hee It's punishment enough that all his shame doe see So did he mitigate Sir Artegall But Talus by the backe the boaster hent And drawing him out of the open hall Vpon him did inflict this punishment First he his beard did shaue and fowly shent Then from him reft his shield and it renuerst And blotted out his armes with falshood blent And himselfe baffuld and his armes vnherst And broke his sword in twaine and all his armour sperst The whiles his guilefull groome was fled away But vaine it was to thinke from him to flie Who ouertaking him did disaray And all his face deform'd with infamie And out of court him scourged openly So ought all faytours that true knighthood shame And armes dishonour with base villanie From all braue knights be banisht with defame For oft their lewdnes blotteth good deserts with blame Now when these counterfeits were thus vncased Out of the foreside of their forgerie And in the sight of all men cleane disgraced All gan to iest and gibe full merilie At the remembrance of their knauerie Ladies can laugh at Ladies Knights at Knights To thinke with how great vaunt of brauerie He them abused through his subtill slights And what a glorious shew he made in all their sights There leaue we them in pleasure and repast Spending their ioyous dayes and gladfull nights And taking vsurie of time forepast With all deare delices and rare delights Fit for such Ladies and such louely knights And turne were here to this faire furrowes end Our wearie yokes to gather fresher sprights That when as time to Artegall shall tend We on his first aduenture may him forward send Cant. IIII Artegall dealeth right betwixt two brethren that doe striue Saues Terpine from the gallow tree and doth from death reprine WHo so vpon him selfe will take the skill True Iustice vnto people to diuide Had neede haue mightie hands for to fulfill That which he doth with righteous doome decide And for to maister wrong and puissant pride For vaine it is to deeme of things aright And makes wrong doers iustice to deride Vnlesse it be perform'd with dreadlesse might For powre is the right hand of Iustice truely hight Therefore whylome to knights of great emprise The charge of Iustice giuen was in trust That they might execute her iudgements wise And with their might beat downe licentious lust Which proudly did impugne her sentence iust Whereof no brauer president this day Remaines on earth preseru'd from yron rust Of rude obliuion and long times decay Then this of Artegall which here we haue to say Who hauing lately left that louely payre Enlincked fast in wedlockes loyall bond Bold Marinell with Florimell the fayre With whom great feast and goodly glee he fond Departed from the Castle of the strond To follow his aduentures first intent Which long agoe he taken had in hond Ne wight with him for his assistance went But that great yron groome his gard and gouernment With whom as he did passe by the sea shore He chaunst to come whereas two comely Squires Both brethren whom one wombe together bore But stirred vp with different desires Together stroue and kindled wrathfull fires And them beside two seemely damzels stood By all meanes seeking to asswage their ires Now with faire words but words did little good Now with sharpe threats but threats the more increast their mood And there before them stood a Coffer strong Fast bound on euery side with iron bands But seeming to haue suffred mickle wrong Either by being wreckt vppon the sands Or being carried farre from forraine lands Seem'd that for it these Squires at ods did fall And bent against them selues their cruell hands But euermore those Damzels did forestall Their furious encounter and their fiercenesse pall But firmely fixt they were with dint of sword And battailes doubtfull proofe their rights to try Ne other end their fury would afford But what to them Fortune would iustify So stood they both in readinesse thereby To ioyne the combate with cruell intent When Artegall arriuing happily Did stay a while their greedy bickerment Till he had questioned the cause of their dissent To whom the elder did this aunswere frame Then weete ye Sir that we two brethren be To whom oursire Milesio by name Did equally bequeath his lands in fee Two Ilands which ye there before you see Not farre in sea of which the one appeares But like a little Mount of small degree Yet was as great and wide ere many yeares As that same other Isle that greater bredth now beares But tract of time that all things doth decay And this deuouring Sea that naught doth spare The most part of my land hath washt away And throwne it vp vnto my brothers share So his encreased but mine did empaire Before which time I lou'd as was my lot That further mayd hight Philtera the faire With whom a goodly doure I should haue got And should haue ioyned bene to her in wedlocks knot Then did my younger brother Amidas Loue that same other Damzell Lucy bright To whom but little dowre allotted was Her vertue was the dowre that did delight What better dowre can to a dame be hight But now when Philtra saw my lands decay And former liuelod fayle she left me quight And to my
brother did ellope streight way Who taking her from me his owne loue left astray She seeing then her selfe forsaken so Through dolorous despaire which she conceyued Into the Sea her selfe did headlong throw Thinking to haue her griefe by death bereaued But see how much her purpose was deccaued Whilest thus amidst the billowes beating of her Twixt life and death long to and fro she weaued She chaunst vnwares to light vppon this coffer Which to her in that daunger hope of life did offer The wretched mayd that earst desir'd to die When as the paine of death she tasted had And but halfe seene his vgly visnomie Gan to repent that she had beene so mad For any death to chaunge life though most bad And catching hold of this Sea-beaten chest The lucky Pylot of her passage sad After long tossing in the seas distrest Her weary barke at last vppon mine Isle did rest Where I by chaunce then wandring on the shore Did her espy and through my good endeuour From dreadfull mouth of death which threatned sore Her to haue swallow'd vp did helpe to saue her She then in recompence of that great fauour Which I on her bestowed bestowed on me The portion of that good which Fortune gaue her Together with her selfe in dowry free Both goodly portions but of both the better she Yet in this coffer which she with her brought Great threasure sithence we did finde contained Which as our owne we tooke and so it thought But this same other Damzell since hath fained That to her selfe that threasure appertained And that she did transport the same by sea To bring it to her husband new ordained But suffred cruell shipwracke by the way But whether it be so or no I can not say But whether it indeede be so or no This doe I say that what so good or ill Or God or Fortune vnto me did throw Not wronging any other by my will I hold mine owne and so will hold it still And though my land he first did winne away And then my loue though now it little skill Yet my good lucke he shall not likewise pray But I will it defend whilst euer that I may So hauing sayd the younger did ensew Full true it is what so about our land My brother here declared hath to you But not for it this ods twixt vs doth stand But for this threasure throwne vppon his strand Which well I proue as shall appeare by triall To be this maides with whom I fastned hand Known by good markes and perfect good espiall Therefore it ought be rendred her without deniall When they thus ended had the Knight began Certes your strife were easie to accord Would ye remit it to some righteous man Vnto your selfe said they we giue our word To bide what iudgement ye shall vs afford Then for assuraunce to my doome to stand Vnder my foote let each lay downe his sword And then you shall my sentence vnderstand So each of them layd downe his sword out of his hand Then Artegall thus to the younger sayd Now tell me Amidas if that ye may Your brothers land the which the sea hath layd Vnto your part and pluckt from his away By what good right doe you withhold this day What other right quoth he should you esteeme But that the sea it to my share did lay Your right is good sayd he and so I deeme That what the sea vnto you sent your own should seeme Then turning to the elder thus he sayd Now Bracidas let this likewise be showne Your brothers threasure which from him is strayd Being the dowry of his wife well knowne By what right doe you claime to beyour owne What other right quoth he should you esteeme But that the sea hath it vnto me throwne Your right is good sayd he and so I deeme That what the sea vnto you sent your own should seeme For equall right in equall things doth stand For what the mighty Sea hath once possest And plucked quite from all possessors hand Whether by rage of waues that neuer rest Or else by wracke that wretches hath distrest He may dispose by his imperiall might As thing at randon left to whom he list So Amidas the land was yours first hight And so the threasure yours is Bracidas by right When he his sentence thus pronounced had Both Amidas and Philtra were displeased But Bracidas and Lucy were right glad And on the threasure by that iudgement seased So was their discord by this doome appeased And each one had his right Then Artegall When as their sharpe contention he had ceased Departed on his way as did befall To follow his old quest the which him forth did call So as he trauelled vppon the way He chaunst to come where happily he spide A rout of many people farre away To whom his course he hastily applide To weete the cause of their assemblaunce wide To whom when he approched neare in sight An vncouth sight he plainely then descride To be a troupe of women warlike dight With weapons in their hands as ready for to fight And in the midst of them he saw a Knight With both his hands behinde him pinnoed hard And round about his necke an halter tight As ready for the gallow tree prepard His face was couered and his head was bar'd That who he was vneath was to descry And with full heauy heart with them he far'd Grieu'd to the soule and groning inwardly That he of womens hands so base a death should dy But they like tyrants mercilesse the more Reioyced at his miserable case And him reuiled and reproched sore With bitter taunts and termes of vile disgrace Now when as Artegall arriu'd in place Did aske what cause brought that man to decay They round about him gan to swarme apace Meaning on him their cruell hands to lay And to haue wrought vnwares some villanous assay But he was soone aware of their ill minde And drawing backe deceiued their intent Yet though him selfe did shame on womankinde His mighty hand to shend he Talus sent To wrecke on them their follies hardyment Who with few sowces of his yron flale Dispersed all their troupe incontinent And sent them home to tell a piteous tale Of their vaine prowesse turned to their proper bale But that same wretched man ordaynd to die They left behind them glad to be so quit Him Talus tooke out of perplexitie And horrour of fowle death for Knight vnfit Who more then losse of life ydreaded it And him restoring vnto liuing light So brought vnto his Lord where he did sit Beholding all that womanish weake fight Whom soone as he beheld he knew and thus behight Sir Turpine haplesse man what make you here Or haue you lost your selfe and your discretion That euer in this wretched case ye were Or haue ye yeelded you to proude oppression Of womens powre that boast of mens subiection Or else what other deadly dismall day Is falne on you by
thenceforth vnto daunger opened way Much was she moued with the mightie sway Of that sad stroke that halfe enrag'd she grew And like a greedie Beare vnto her pray With her sharpe Cemitare at him she flew That glauncing downe his thigh the purple bloud forth drew Thereat she gan to triumph with great boast And to vpbrayd that chaunce which him misfell As if the prize she gotten had almost With spightfull speaches fitting with her well That his great hart gan inwardly to swell With indignation at her vaunting vaine And at her strooke with puissance fearefull fell Yet with her shield she warded it againe That shattered all to peeces round about the plaine Hauing her thus disarmed of her shield Vpon her helmet he againe her strooke That downe she fell vpon the grassie field In sencelesse swoune as if her life forsooke And pangs of death her spirit ouertooke Whom when he saw before his foote prostrated He to her lept with deadly dreadfull looke And her sunshynie helmet soone vnlaced Thinking at once both head and helmet to haue raced But when as he discouered had her face He saw his senses straunge astonishment A miracle of natures goodly grace In her faire visage voide of ornament But bath'd in bloud and sweat together ment Which in the rudenesse of that euill plight Bewrayd the signes of feature excellent Like as the Moone in foggie winters night Doth seeme to be her selfe though darkned be her light At sight thereof his cruell minded hart Empierced was with pittifull regard That his sharpe sword he threw from him apart Cursing his hand that had that visage mard No hand so cruell nor no hart so hard But ruth of beautie will it mollifie By this vpstarting from her swoune she star'd A while about her with confused eye Like one that from his dreame is waked suddenlye Soone as the knight she there by her did spy Standing with emptie hands all weaponlesse With fresh assault vpon him she did fly And gan renew her former cruelnesse And though he still retyt'd yet nathelesse With huge redoubled strokes she on him layd And more increast her outrage mercilesse The more that he with meeke intreatie prayd Her wrathful hand from greedy vengeance to haue stayd Like as a Puttocke hauing spyde in sight A gentle Faulcon sitting on an hill Whose other wing now made vnmeete for flight Was lately broken by some fortune ill The foolish Kyte led with licentious will Doth beat vpon the gentle bird in vaine With many idle stoups her troubling still Euen so did Radigund with bootlesse paine Annoy this noble Knight and sorely him constraine Nought could he do but shun the dred despight Of her fierce wrath and backward still retyre And with his single shield well as he might Beare off the burden of her raging yre And euermore he gently did desyre To stay her stroks and he himselfe would yield Yet nould she hearke ne let him once respyre Till he to her deliuered had his shield And to her mercie him submitted in plaine field So was he ouercome not ouercome But to her yeelded of his owne accord Yet was he iustly damned by the doome Of his owne mouth that spake so warelesse word To be her thrall and seruice her afford For though that he first victorie obtayned Yet after by abandoning his sword He wilfull lost that he before attayned No fayrer conquest then that with goodwill is gayned Tho with her sword on him she flatling strooke In signe of true subiection to her powre And as her vassall him to thraldome tooke But Terpine borne to'a more vnhappy howre As he on whom the lucklesse starres did lowre She causd to be attacht and forthwith led Vnto the crooke t' abide the balefull stowre From which he lately had through reskew fled Where he full shamefully was hanged by the hed But when they thought on Talus hands to lay He with his yron flaile amongst them thondred That they were fayne to let him scape away Glad from his companie to be so sondred Whose presence all their troups so much encombred That th'heapes of those which he did wound and slay Besides the rest dismayd might not be nombred Yet all that while he would not once assay To reskew his owne Lord but thought it iust t' obay Then tooke the Amazon this noble knight Left to her will by his owne wilfull blame And caused him to be disarmed quight Of all the ornaments of knightly name With which whylome he gotten had great fame In stead whereof she made him to be dight In womans weedes that is to manhood shame And put before his lap a napron white In stead of Curiets and bases fit for fight So being clad she brought him from the field In which he had bene trayned many a day Into a long large chamber which was sield With moniments of many knights decay By her subdewed in victorious fray Amongst the which she causd his warlike armes Be hang'd on high that mote his shame bewray And broke his sword or feare of further harmes With which he wont to stirre vp battailous alarmes There entred in he round about him saw Many braue knights whose names right well he knew There bound t' obay that Amazons proud law Spinning and carding all in comely rew That his bigge hart loth'd so vncomely vew But they were forst through penurie and pyne To doe those workes to them appointed dew For nought was giuen them to sup or dyne But what their hands could earne by twisting linnen twyne Amongst them all she placed him most low And in his hand a distaffe to him gaue That he thereon should spin both flax and tow A sordid office for a mind so braue So hard it is to be a womans slaue Yet he it tooke in his owne selfes despight And thereto did himselfe right well behaue Her to obay sith he his faith had plight Her vassall to become if she him wonne in fight Who had him seene imagine mote thereby That whylome hath of Hercules bene told How for Iolas sake he did apply His mightie hands the distaffe vile to hold For his huge club which had subdew'd of old So many monsters which the world annoyed His Lyons skin chaungd to a pall of gold In which forgetting warres he onely ioyed In combats of sweet loue and with his mistresse toyed Such is the crueltie of women kynd When they haue shaken off the shamefast band With which wise Nature did them strongly bynd Tobay the heasts of mans well ruling hand That then all rule and reason they withstand To purchase a licentious libertie But vertuous women wisely vnderstand That they were borne to base humilitie Vnlesse the heauens them lift to lawfull soueraintie Thus there long while continu'd Artegall Seruing proud Radigund with true subiection How euer it his noble heart did gall Tobay a womans tyrannous direction That might haue had of life or death election But hauing chosen now he might not chaunge During which
them selues on her to wreake Who as she nigh vnto them drew the one These vile reproches gan vnto her speake Thou recreant false traytor that with lone Of armes hast knighthood stolne yet Knight art none No more shall now the darkenesse of the night Defend thee from the vengeance of thy fone But with thy bloud thou shalt appease the spright Of Guizor by thee slaine and murdred by thy slight Strange were the words in Britomartis eare Yet stayd she not for them but forward fared Till to the perillous Bridge she came and there Talus desir'd that he might haue prepared The way to her and those two losels scared But she thereat was wroth that for despight The glauncing sparkles through her beuer glared And from her eies did flash out fiery light Like coles that through a siluer Censer sparkle bright She stayd not to aduise which way to take But putting spurres vnto her fiery beast Thorough the midst of them she way did make The one of them which most her wrath increast Vppon her speare she bore before her breast Till to the Bridges further end she past Where falling downe his challenge he releast The other ouer side the Bridge she cast Into the riuer where he drunke his deadly last As when the flashing Leuin haps to light Vppon two stubborne oakes which stand so neare That way betwixt them none appeares in sight The Engin fiercely flying forth doth teare Th' one from the earth through the aire doth beare The other it withforce doth ouerthrow Vppon one side and from his rootes doth reare So did the Championesse those two there strow And to their sire their carcasses left to bestow Cant. VII Britomart comes to Isis Church Where shee strange visions sees She fights with Radigund her slases And Artegall thence frees NOught is on earth more sacred or diuine That Gods and men doe equally adore Then this same vertue that doth right define For th'heuens thēselues whence mortal men implore Right in their wrongs are rul'd by righteous lore Of highest Ioue who doth true iustice deale To his inferiour Gods and euermore Therewith containes his heauenly Common-weale The skill whereof to Princes hearts he doth reueale Well therefore did the antique world inuent That Iustice was a God of soueraine grace And altars vnto him and temples lent And heauenly honours in the highest place Calling him great Osyris of the race Of th' old Aegyptian Kings that whylome were With fayned colours shading a true case For that Osyris whilest he liued here The iustest man aliue and truest did appeare His wife was Isis whom they likewise made A Goddesse of great powre and souerainty And in her person cunningly did shade That part of Iustice which is Equity Whereof I haue to treat here presently Vnto whose temple when as Britomart Arriued shee with great humility Did enter in ne would that night depart But Talus mote not be admitted to her part There she receiued was in goodly wize Of many Priests which duely did attend Vppon the rites and daily sacrifize All clad in linnen robes with siluer hemd And on their heads with long locks comely kemd They wore rich Mitres shaped like the Moone To shew that Isis doth the Moone portend Like as Osyris signifies the Sunne For that they both like race in equall iustice runne The Championesse them greeting as she could Was thence by them into the Temple led Whose goodly building when she did behould Borne vppon stately pillours all dispred With shining gold and arched ouer hed She wondred at the workemans passing skill Whose like before she neuer saw nor red And thereuppon long while stood gazing still But thought that she thereon could neuer gaze her fill Thence forth vnto the Idoll they her brought The which was framed all of siluer fine So well as could with cunning hand be wrought And clothed all in garments made of line Hemd all about with fringe of siluer twine Vppon her head she wore a Crowne of gold To shew that she had powre in things diuine And at her feete a Crocodile was rold That with her wreathed taile her middle did enfold One foote was set vppon the Crocodile And on the ground the other fast did stand So meaning to suppresse both forged guile And open force and in her other hand She stretched forth a long white sclender wand Such was the Goddesse whom when Britomart Had long beheld her selfe vppon the land She did prostrate and with right humble hart Vnto her selfe her silent prayers did impart To which the Idoll as it were inclining Her wand did moue with amiable looke By outward shew her inward sence desining Who well perceiuing how her wand she shooke It as a token of good fortune tooke By this the day with dampe was ouercast And ioyous light the house of Ioue forsooke Which when she saw her helmet she vnlaste And by the altars side her selfe to slumber plaste For other beds the Priests there vsed none But on their mother Earths deare lap did lie And bake their sides vppon the cold hard stone T'enure them selues to sufferaunce thereby And proud rebellious flesh to mortify For by the vow of their religion They tied were to stedfast chastity And continence of life that all forgon They mote the better tend to their deuotion Therefore they mote not taste of fleshly food Ne feed on ought the which doth bloud containe Ne drinke of wine for wine they say is blood Euen the bloud of Gyants which were slaine By thundring Ioue in the Phlegrean plaine For which the earth as they the story tell Wroth with the Gods which to perpetuall paine Had damn'd her sonnes which gainst them did rebell With inward griefe and malice did against them swell And of their vitall bloud the which was shed Into her pregnant bosome forth she brought The fruitfull vine whose liquor blouddy red Hauing the mindes of men with fury fraught Mote in them stirre vp old rebellious thought To make new warre against the Gods againe Such is the powre of that same fruit that nought The fell contagion may thereof restraine Ne within reasons rule her madding mood containe There did the warlike Maide her selfe repose Vnder the wings of Isis all that night And with sweete rest her heauy eyes did close After that long daies toile and weary plight Where whilest her earthly parts with soft delight Of sencelesse sleepe did deeply drowned lie There did appeare vnto her heauenly spright A wondrous vision which did close implie The course of all her fortune and posteritie Her seem ' das she was doing sacrifize To Isis deckt with Mitre on her hed And linnen stole after those Priestes guize All sodainely she saw transfigured Her linnen stole to robe of scarlet red And Moone-like Mitre to a Crowne of gold That euen she her selfe much wondered At such a chaunge and ioyed to behold Her selfe adorn'd with gems and iewels manifold And in the midst of her felicity An
And them repaide againe with double more So long they fought that all the grassie flore Was fild with bloud which from their sides did flow And gushed through their armes that all in gore They trode and on the ground their liues did strow Like fruitles seede of which vntimely death should grow At last proud Radigund with fell despight Hauing by chaunce espide aduantage neare Let driue at her with all her dreadfull might And thus vpbrayding said This token beare Vnto the man whom thou doest loue so deare And tell him for his sake thy life thou gauest Which spitefull words she sore engrieu'd to heare Thus answer'd Lewdly thou my loue deprauest Who shortly must repent that now so vainely brauest Nath'lesse that stroke so cruell passage found That glauncing on her shoulder plate it bit Vnto the bone and made a griesly wound That she her shield through raging smart of it Could scarse vphold yet soone she it requit For hauing force increast through furious paine She her so rudely on the helmet smit That it empierced to the very braine And her proud person low prostrated on the plaine Where being layd the wrothfull Britonesse Stayd not till she came to her selfe againe But in reuenge both of her loues distresse And her late vile reproch though vaunted vaine And also of her wound which sore did paine She with one stroke both head and helmet cleft Which dreadfull sight when all her warlike traine There present saw each one of sence bereft Fled fast into the towne and her sole victor left But yet so fast they could not home retrate But that swift Talus did the formost win And pressing through the preace vnto the gate Pelmell with them attonce did enter in There then a piteous slaughter did begin For all that euer came within his reach He with his yron flale did thresh so thin That he no worke at all left for the leach Like to an hideous storme which nothing may empeach And now by this the noble Conqueresse Her selfe came in her glory to partake Where though reuengefull vow she did professe Yet when she saw the heapes which he did make Of slaughtred carkasses her heart did quake For very ruth which did it almost riue That she his fury willed him to slake For else he sure had left not one aliue But all in his reuenge of spirite would depriue Tho when she had his execution stayd She for that yron prison did enquire In which her wretched loue was captiue layd Which breaking open with indignant ire She entred into all the partes entire Where when she saw that lothly vncouth sight Of men disguiz'd in womanishe attire Her heart gan grudge for very deepe despight Of so vnmanly maske in misery misdight At last when as to her owne Loue she came Whom like disguize no lesse deformed had At sight thereof abasht with secrete shame She turnd her head aside as nothing glad To haue beheld a spectacle so bad And then too well beleeu'd that which tofore Iealous suspect as true vntruely drad Which vaine conceipt now nourishing no more She sought with ruth to salue his sad misfortunes sore Not so great wonder and astonishment Did the most chast Penelope possesse To see her Lord that was reported drent And dead long since in dolorous distresse Come home to her in piteous wretchednesse After long trauell of full twenty yeares That she knew not his fauours likelynesse For many scarres and many hoary heares But stood long staring on him mongst vncertaine feares Ah my deare Lord what sight is this quoth she What May-game hath misfortune made of you Where is that dreadfull manly looke where be Those mighty palmes the which ye wont t'embrew In bloud of Kings and great hoastes to subdew Could ought on earth so wondrous change haue wrought As to haue robde you of that manly hew Could so great courage stouped haue to ought Then farewell fleshly force I see thy pride is nought Thenceforth she streight into a bowre him brought And causd him those vncomely weedes vndight And in their steede for other rayment sought Whereof there was great store and armors bright Which had bene reft from many a noble Knight Whom that proud Amazon subdewed had Whilest Fortune fauourd her successe in fight In which when as she him anew had clad She was reuiu'd and ioyd much in his semblance glad So there a while they afterwards remained Him to refresh and her late wounds to heale During which space she there as Princes rained And changing all that forme of common weale The liberty of women did repeale Which they had long vsurpt and them restoring To mens subiection did true Iustice deale That all they as a Goddesse her adoring Her wisedome did admire and hearkned to her loring For all those Knights which long in captiue shade Had shrowded bene she did from thraldome free And magistrates of all that city made And gaue to them great liuing and large fee And that they should for euer faithfull bee Made them sweare fealty to Artegall Who when him selfe now well recur'd did see He purposd to proceed what so be fall Vppon his first aduenture which him forth did call Full sad and sorrowfull was Britomart For his departure her new cause of griefe Yet wisely moderated her owne smart Seeing his honor which she tendred chiefe Consisted much in that aduentures priefe The care whereof and hope of his successe Gaue vnto her great comfort and reliefe That womanish complaints she did represse And tempred for the time her present heauinesse There she continued for a certaine space Till through his want her woe did more increase Then hoping that the change of aire and place Would change her paine and sorrow somewhat ease She parted thence her anguish to appease Meane while her noble Lord sir Artegall Went on his way ne euer howre did cease Till he redeemed had that Lady thrall That for another Canto will more fitly fall Cant. VIII Prince Arthure and Sir Artegall Free Samient from feare They slay the Soudan driue his wife A dicia to despaire NOught vnder heauen so strongly doth allure The sence of man and all his minde possesse As beauties lonely baite that doth procure Great warriours oft their rigour to represse And mighty hands forget their manlinesse Drawne with the powre of an heart-robbing eye And wrapt in fetters of a golden tresse That can with melting pleasaunce mollifye Their hardned hearts enur'd to bloud and cruelty So whylome learnd that mighty Iewish swaine Each of whose lockes did match a man in might To lay his spoiles before his lemans traine So also did that great Octean Knight For his loues sake his Lions skin vndight And so did warlike Antony neglect The worlds whole rule for Cleopatras sight Such wondrous powre hath wemens faire aspect To captiue men and make them all the world reiect Yet could it not sterne Artegall retaine Nor hold from suite of his auowed quest Which he had
her sonnes prostrated low Before his feete in all that peoples sight Mongst ioyes mixing some tears mongst wele some wo Him thus bespake O most redoubted Knight The which hast me of all most wretched wight That earst was dead restor'd to life againe And these weake impes replanted by thy might What guerdon can I giue thee for thy paine But euen that which thou sauedst thine still to remaine He tooke her vp for by the lilly hand And her recomforted the best he might Saying Deare Lady deedes ought not be scand By th'authors manhood nor the doers might But by their trueth and by the causes right That same is it which fought for you this day What other meed then need me to requight But that which yeeldeth vertues meed alway That is the vertue selfe which her reward doth pay She humbly thankt him for that wondrous grace And further sayd Ah Sir but mote ye please Sith ye thus farre haue tendred my poore case As from my chiefest foe me to release That your victorious arme will not yet cease Till ye haue rooted all the relickes out Of that vilde race and stablished my peace What is there else sayd he left of their rout Declare it boldly Dame and doe not stand in dout Then wote you Sir that in this Church hereby There stands an Idole of great note and name The which this Gyant reared first on hie And of his owne vaine fancies thought did frame To whom for endlesse horrour of his shame He offred vp for daily sacrifize My children and my people burnt in flame With all the tortures that he could deuize The more t'aggrate his God with such his blouddy guize And vnderneath this Idoll there doth lie An hideous monster that doth it defend And feedes on all the carkasses that die In sacrifize vnto that cursed feend Whose vgly shape none euer saw nor kend That euer scap'd for of a man they say It has the voice that speaches forth doth send Euen blasphemous words which she doth bray Out of her poysnous entrails fraught with dire decay Which when the Prince heard tell his heart gan earne For great desire that Monster to assay And prayd the place of her abode to learne Which being shew'd he gan him selfe streight way Thereto addresse and his bright shield display So to the Church he came where it was told The Monster vnderneath the Altar lay There he that Idoll saw of massy gold Most richly made but there no Monster did behold Vpon the Image with his naked blade Three times as in defiance there he strooke And the third time out of an hidden shade There forth issewd from vnder th' Altars smooke A dreadfull feend with fowle deformed looke That stretcht it selfe as it had long lyen still And her long taile and fethers strongly shooke That all the Temple did with terrour fill Yet him nought terrifide that feared nothing ill An huge great Beast it was when it in length Was stretched forth that nigh fild all the place And seem'd to be of infinite great strength Horrible hideous and of hellish race Borne of the brooding of Echidna base Or other like infernall furies kinde For of a Mayd she had the outward face To hide the horrour which did lurke behinde The better to beguile whom she so fond did finde Thereto the body of a dog she had Full of fell rauin and fierce greedinesse A Lions clawes with powre and rigour clad To rend and teare what so she can oppresse A Dragons taile whose sting without redresse Full deadly wounds where so it is empight And Eagles wings for scope and speedinesse That nothing may escape her reaching might Whereto she euer list to make her hardy flight Much like in foulnesse and deformity Vnto that Monster whom the Theban Knight The father of that fatall progeny Made kill her selfe for very hearts despight That he had red her Riddle which no wight Could euer loose but suffred deadly doole So also did this Monster vse like slight To many a one which came vnto her schoole Whom she did put to death deceiued like a foole She comming forth when as she first beheld The armed Prince with shield so blazing bright Her ready to assaile was greatly queld And much dismayd with that dismayfull sight That backe she would haue turnd for great affright But he gan her with courage fierce assay That forst her turne againe in her despight To saue her selfe least that he did her slay And sure he had her slaine had she not turnd her way Tho when she saw that she was forst to fight She flew at him like to an hellish feend And on his shield tooke hold with all her might As if that it she would in peeces rend Or reaue out of the hand that did it hend Strongly he stroue out of her greedy gripe To loose his shield and long while did contend But when he could not quite it with one stripe Her Lions clawes he from her feete away did wipe With that aloude she gan to bray and yell And fowle blasphemous speaches forth did cast And bitter curses horrible to tell That euen the Temple wherein she was plast Did quake to heare and nigh asunder brast Tho with her huge long taile she at him strooke That made him stagger and stand halfe agast With trembling ioynts as he for terrour shooke Who nought was terrifide but greater courage tooke As when the Mast of some well timbred hulke Is with the blast of some outragious storme Blowne downe it shakes the bottome of the bulke And makes her ribs to cracke as they were torne Whilest still she stands as stonisht and forlorne So was he stound with stroke of her huge taile But ere that it she backe againe had borne He with his sword it strooke that without faile He ioynted it and mard the swinging of her flaile Then gan she cry much louder then afore That all the people there without it heard And Belge selfe was therewith stonied sore As if the onely sound thereof she feard But then the feend her selfe more fiercely reard Vppon her wide great wings and strongly flew With all her body at his head and beard That had he not foreseene with heedfull vew And thrown his shield atween she had him done to rew But as she prest on him with heauy sway Vnder her wombe his fatall sword he thrust And for her entrailes made an open way To issue forth the which once being brust Like to a great Mill damb forth fiercely gusht And powred out of her infernall sinke Most vgly filth and poyson therewith rusht That him nigh choked with the deadly stinke Such loathly matter were small lust to speake or thinke Then downe to ground fell that deformed Masse Breathing out clouds of sulphure fowle and blacke In which a puddle of contagion was More loathd then Lerna or then Stygian lake That any man would nigh awhaped make Whom when he saw on ground he was full glad And
to thee reprochfull blame To erect this wicked custome which I heare Gainst errant Knights and Ladies thou dost reare Whom when thou mayst thou dost of arms despoile Or of their vpper garment which they weare Yet doest thou not with manhood but with guile Maintaine this euill vse thy foes thereby to foile And lastly in approuance of thy wrong To shew such faintnesse and foule cowardize Is greatest shame for oft it falles that strong And valiant knights doe rashly enterprize Either for fame or else for exercize A wrongfull quarrell to maintaine by right Yet haue through prowesse and their braue emprize Gotten great worship in this worldes sight For greater force there needs to maintaine wrong then right Yet since thy life vnto this Ladie fayre I giuen haue liue in reproch and scorne Ne euer armes ne euer knighthood dare Hence to professe for shame is to adorne With so braue badges one so basely borne But onely breath sith that I did forgiue So hauing from his crauen bodie torne Those goodly armes he them away did giue And onely suffred him this wretched life to liue There whilest he thus was setling things aboue Atwene that Ladie myld and recreant knight To whom his life he graunted for her loue He gan bethinke him in what perilous plight He had behynd him left that saluage wight Amongst so many foes whom sure he thought By this quite slaine in so vnequall fight Therefore descending backe in haste he sought If yet he were aliue or to destruction brought There he him found enuironed about With slaughtred bodies which his hand had slaine And laying yet a fresh with courage stout Vpon the rest that did aliue remaine Whom he likewise right sorely did constraine Like scattred sheepe to seeke for safetie After he gotten had with busie paine Some of their weapons which thereby did lie With which he layd about and made them fast to flie Whom when the Prince so felly saw to rage Approching to him neare his hand he stayd And sought by making signes him to asswage Who them perceiuing streight to him obayd As to his Lord and downe his weapons layd As if he long had to his heasts bene trayned Thence he him brought away and vp conuayd Into the chamber where that Dame remayned With her vnworthy knight who ill him entertayned Whom when the Saluage saw from daunger free Sitting beside his Ladie there at ease He well remembred that the same was hee Which lately sought his Lord for to displease Tho all in rage he on him streight did seaze As if he would in peeces him haue rent And were not that the Prince did him appeaze He had not left one limbe of him vnrent But streight he held his hand at his commaundement Thus hauing all things well in peace ordayned The Prince himselfe there all that night did rest Where him Blandina fayrely entertayned With all the courteous glee and goodly feast The which for him she could imagine best For well she knew the wayes to win good will Of euery wight that were not too infest And how to please the minds of good and ill Through tempering of her words lookes by wondrous skill Yet were her words and lookes but false and fayned To some hid end to make more easie way Or to allure such fondlings whom she trayned Into her trap vnto their owne decay Thereto when needed she could weepe and pray And when her listed she could fawne and flatter Now smyling smoothly like to sommers day Now glooming sadly so to cloke her matter Yet were her words but wynd all her teares but water Whether such grace were giuen her by kynd As women wont their guilefull wits to guyde Or learn'd the art to please I doe not fynd This well I wote that she so well applyde Her pleasing tongue that soone she pacifyde The wrathfull Prince wrought her husbands peace Who nathelesse not therewith satisfyde His rancorous despight did not releasse Ne secretly from thought of fell reuenge surceasse For all that night the whyles the Prince did rest In carelesse couch not weeting what was ment He watcht in close awayt with weapons prest Willing to worke his villenous intent On him that had so shamefully him shent Yet durst he not for very cowardize Effect the same whylest all the night was spent The morrow next the Prince did early rize And passed forth to follow his first enterprize Cant. VII Turpine is baffuld his two knights doe gaine their treasons meed Fayre Mirabellaes punishment for loues disdaine decreed LIke as the gentle hart it selfe bewrayes In doing gentle deedes with franke delight Euen so the baser mind it selfe displayes In cancred malice and reuengefull spight For to maligne t'enuie t' vse shifting slight Be arguments of a vile donghill mind Which what it dare not doe by open might To worke by wicked treason wayes doth find By such discourteous deeds discouering his base kind That well appeares in this discourteous knight The coward Turpine whereof now I treat Who notwithstanding that in former fight He of the Prince his life receiued late Yet in his mind malitious and ingrate He gan denize to be aueng'd anew For all that shame which kindled inward hate Therefore so soone as he was out of vew Himselfe in hast he arm'd and did him fast pursew Well did he tract his steps as he did ryde Yet would not neare approch in daungers eye But kept aloofe for dread to be descryde Vntill fit time and place he mote espy Where he mote worke him scath and villeny At last he met two knights to him vnknowne The which were arm'd both agreeably And both combynd what euer chaunce were blowne Betwixt them to diuide and each to make his owne To whom false Turpine comming courteously To cloke the mischiefe which he inly ment Gan to complaine of great discourtesie Which a straunge knight that neare afore him went Had doen to him and his deare Ladie shent Which if they would afford him ayde at need For to auenge in time conuenient They should accomplish both a knightly deed And for their paines obtaine of him a goodly meed The knights beleeu'd that all he sayd was trew And being fresh and full of youthly spright Were glad to heare of that aduenture new In which they mote make triall of their might Which neuer yet they had approu'd in fight And eke desirous of the offred meed Said then the one of them where is that wight The which hath doen to thee this wrongfull deed That we may it auenge and punish him with speed He rides said Turpine there not farre afore With a wyld man soft footing by his syde That if ye list to haste a litle more Ye may him ouertake in timely tyde Eftsoones they pricked forth with forward pryde And ere that litle while they ridden had The gentle Prince not farre away they spyde Ryding a softly pace with portance sad Deuizing of his loue more then of daunger drad
threasures of nature appeare Which as they view with lustfull fantasyes Each wisheth to him selfe and to the rest enuyes Her yuorie necke her alablaster brest Her paps which like white silken pillowes were For loue in soft delight thereon to rest Her tender sides her bellie white and clere Which like an Altar did it selfe vprere To offer sacrifice diuine thereon Her goodly thighes whose glorie did appeare Like a triumphall Arch and thereupon The spoiles of Princes hang'd which were in battel won Those daintie parts the dearlings of delight Which mote not be prophan'd of common eyes Those villeins vew'd with loose lasciuious sight And closely tempted with their craftie spyes And some of them gan mongst themselues deuize Thereof by force to take their beastly pleasure But them the Priest rebuking did aduize To dare not to pollute so sacred threasure Vow'd to the gods religiō held euen theeues in measure So being stayd they her from thence directed Vnto a litle groue not farre asyde In which an altar shortly they erected To slay her on And now the Euentyde His brode black wings had through the heauens wyde By this dispred that was the tyme ordayned For such a dismall deed their guilt to hyde Of few greene turfes an altar soone they fayned And deckt it all with flowres which they nigh hand obtayned Tho when as all things readie were aright The Damzell was before the altar set Being alreadie dead with fearefull fright To whom the Priest with naked armes full net Approching nigh and murdrous knife well whet Gan mutter close a certaine secret charme With other diuelish ceremonies met Which doen he gan aloft t' aduance his arme Whereat they shouted all and made a loud alarme Then gan the bagpypes and the hornes to shrill And shrieke aloud that with the peoples voyce Confused did the ayre with terror fill And made the wood to tremble at the noyce The whyles she wayld the more they did reioyce Now mote ye vnderstand that to this groue Sir Calepine by chaunce more then by choyce The selfe same euening fortune hether droue As he to seeke Serena through the woods did roue Long had he sought her and through many a soyle Had traueld still on foot in heauie armes Ne ought was tyred with his endlesse toyles Ne ought was feared of his certaine harmes And now all weetlesse of the wretched stormes In which his loue was lost he slept full fast Till being waked with these loud alarmes He lightly started vp like one aghast And catching vp his arms streight to the noise forth past There by th' vncertaine glims of starry night And by the twinkling of their sacred fire He mote perceiue a litle dawning sight Of all which there was doing in that quire Mongst whom a woman spoyld of all attire He spyde lamenting her vnluckie strife And groning sore from grieued hart entire Eftsoones he saw one with a naked knife Readie to launch her brest and let out loued life With that he thrusts into the thickest throng And euen as his right hand adowne descends He him preuenting layes on earth along And sacrifizeth to th' infernall feends Then to the rest his wrathfull hand he bends Of whom he makes such hauocke and such hew That swarmes of damned soules to hell he sends The rest that scape his sword and death eschew Fly like a flocke of doues before a Faulcons vew From them returning to that Ladie backe Whom by the Altar he doth sitting find Yet fearing death and next to death the lacke Of clothes to couer what they ought by kind He first her hands beginneth to vnbind And then to question of her present woe And afterwards to cheare with speaches kind But she for nought that he could say or doe One word durst speake or answere him awhit thereto So inward shame of her vncomely case She did conceiue through care of womanhood That though the night did couer her disgrace Yet she in so vnwomanly a mood Would not bewray the state in which she stood So all that night to him vnknowen she past But day that doth discouer bad and good Ensewing made her knowen to him at last The end whereof I le keepe vntill another cast Cant. IX Calidore hostes with Meliboe And loues fayre Pastorell Coridon enuies him yet he for ill rewards him well NOw turne againe my teme thou iolly swayne Backe to the furrow which I lately left I lately left a furrow one or twayne Vnplough'd the which my coulter hath not cleft Yet seem'd the soyle both fayre and frutefull eft As I it past that were too great a shame That so rich frute should be from vs bereft Besides the great dishonour and defame Which should befall to Calidores immortall name Great trauell hath the gentle Calidore And toyle endured sith I left him last Sewing the Blatant beast which I forbore To finish then for other present hast Full many pathes and perils he hath past Through hils through dales throgh forests throgh plaines In that same quest which fortune on him cast Which he atchieued to his owne great gaines Reaping eternall glorie of his restlesse paines So sharply he the Monster did pursew That day nor night he suffred him to rest Ne rested he himselfe but natures dew For dread of daunger not to be redrest If he for slouth forslackt so famous quest Him first from court he to the citties coursed And from the citties to the townes him prest And from the townes into the countrie forsed And from the country back to priuate farmes he scorsed From thence into the open fields he fled Whereas the Heardes were keeping of their neat And shepheards singing to their flockes that fed Layes of sweete loue and youthes delightfull heat Him thether eke for all his fearefull threat He followed fast and chaced him so nie That to the folds where sheepe at night doe seat And to the litle cots where shepherds lie In winters wrathfull time he forced him to flie There on a day as he pursew'd the chace He chaunst to spy a sort of shepheard groomes Playing on pypes and caroling apace The whyles their beasts there in the budded broomes Beside them fed and nipt the tender bloomes For other worldly wealth they cared nought To whom Sir Calidore yet sweating comes And them to tell him courteously besought If such a beast they saw which he had thether brought They answer'd him that no such beast they saw Nor any wicked feend that mote offend Their happie flockes nor daunger to them draw But if that such there were as none they kend They prayd high God them farre from them to send Then one of them him seeing so to sweat After his rusticke wise that well he weend Offred him drinke to quench his thirstie heat And if he hungry were him offred eke to eat The knight was nothing nice where was no need And tooke their gentle offer so adowne They prayd him sit and gaue him for to feed Such homely
scard Vnworthy they of grace whom one deniall Excludes from fairest hope withouten further triall Yet many doughty warriours often tride In greater perils to bestout and bold Durst not the sternnesse of his looke abide But soone as they his countenance did behold Began to faint and feele their corage cold Againe some other that in hard assaies Were cowards knowne and litle count did hold Either through gifts or guile or such like waies Crept in by stouping low or stealing of the kaies But I though nearest man of many moe Yet much disdaining vnto him to lout Or creepe betweene his legs so in to goe Resolu'd him to assault with manhood stout And either beat him in or driue him out Eftsoones aduauncing that enchaunted shield With all my might I gan to lay about Which when he saw the glaiue which he did wield He gan forthwith t'auale and way vnto me yield So as I entred I did backeward looke For feare of harme that might lie hidden there And loe his hindparts whereof heed I tooke Much more deformed fearefull vgly were Then all his former parts did earst appere For hatred murther treason and despight With many moe lay in ambushment there Awayting to entrap the warelesse wight Which did not them preuent with vigilant foresight Thus hauing past all perill I was come Within the compasse of that Islands space The which did seeme vnto my simple doome The onely pleasant and delightfull place That euer troden was of footings trace For all that nature by her mother wit Could frame in earth and forme of substance base Was there and all that nature did omit Art playing second natures part supplyed it No tree that is of count in greenewood growes From lowest Iuniper to Ceder tall No flowre in field that daintie odour throwes And deckes his branch with blossomes ouer all But there was planted or grew naturall Nor sense of man so coy and curious nice But there mote find to please it selfe withall Nor hart could wish for any queint deuice But there it present was and did fraile sense entice In such luxurious plentie of all pleasure It seem'd a second paradise to bee So lauishly enricht with natures threasure That if the happie soules which doe possesse Th' Elysian fields and liue in lasting blesse Should happen this with liuing eye to see They soone would loath their lesser happinesse And wish to life return'd againe to ghesse That in this ioyous place they mote haue ioyance free Fresh shadowes fit to shroud from sunny ray Faire lawnds to take the sunne in season dew Sweet springs in which a thousand Nymphs did play Soft rombling brookes that gentle slomber drew High reared mounts the lands about to vew Low looking dales disloignd from common gaze Delightfull bowres to solace louers trew False Labyrinthes fond runners eyes to daze All which by nature made did nature selfe amaze And all without were walkes and all eyes dight With diuers trees enrang'd in euen rankes And here and there were pleasant arbors pight And shadie seates and sundry flowring bankes To sit and rest the walkers wearie shankes And therein thousand payres of louers walkt Praysing their god and yeelding him great thankes Ne euer ought but of their true loues talkt Ne euer for rebuke or blame of any balkt All these together by themselues did sport Their spotlesse pleasures and sweet loues content But farre away from these another sort Of louers lincked in true harts consent Which loued not as these for like intent But on chast vertue grounded their desire Farre from all fraud or fayned blandishment Which in their spirits kindling zealous fire Braue thoughts and noble deedes did euermore aspire Such were great Hercules and Hyllus deare Trew Ionathan and Dauid trustie tryde Stout Theseus and Pirithous his feare Pylades and Orestes by his syde Myld Titus and Gesippus without pryde Damon and Pythias whom death could not seuer All these and all that euer had bene tyde In bands of friendship there did liue for euer Whose liues although decay'd yet loues decayed neuer Which when as I that neuer tasted blis Nor happie howre beheld with gazefull eye I thought there was none other heauen then this And gan their endlesse happinesse enuye That being free from feare and gealosye Might frankely there their loues desire possesse Whilest I through paines and perlous ieopardie Was forst to seeke my lifes deare patronesse Much dearer be the things which come through hard distresse Yet all those sights and all that else I saw Might not my steps withhold but that forthright Vnto that purposd place I did me draw Where as my loue was lodged day and night The temple of great Venus that is hight The Queene of beautie and of loue the mother There worshipped of euery liuing wight Whose goodly workmanship farre past all other That euer were on earth all were they set together Not that same famous Temple of Diane Whose hight all Ephesus did ouersee And which all Asia sought with vowes prophane One of the worlds seuen wonders sayd to bee Might match with this by many a degree Nor that which that wise King of Iurie framed With endlesse cost to be th' Almighties see Nor all that else through all the world is named To all the heathen Gods might like to this be clamed I much admyring that so goodly frame Vnto the porch approcht which open stood But therein sate an amiable Dame That seem'd to be of very sober mood And in her semblant shewed great womanhood Strange was her tyre for on her head a crowne She wore much like vnto a Danisk hood Poudred with pearle and stone and all her gowne Enwouen was with gold that taught full low a downe On either side of her two young men stood Both strongly arm'd as fearing one another Yet were they brethren both of halfe the blood Begotten by two fathers of one mother Though of contrarie natures each to other The one of them hight Loue the other Hate Hate was the elder Loue the younger brother Yet was the younger stronger in his state Then th' elder and him maystred still in all debate Nathlesse that Dame so well them tempted both That she them forced hand to ioyne in hand Albe that Hatred was thereto full loth And turn'd his face away as he did stand Vnwilling to behold that louely band Yet she was of such grace and vertuous might That her commaundment he could notwithstand But bit his lip for felonous despight And gnasht his yron tuskes at that displeasing sight Concord she cleeped was in common reed Mother of blessed Peace and Friendship trew They both her twins both borne of heauenly seed And she her selfe likewise diuinely grew The which right well her workes diuine did snew For strength and wealth and happinesse she lends And strife and warre and anger does subdew Of litle much of foes she maketh frends And to afflicted minds sweet rest and quiet sends By her the heauen is in his
course contained And all the world in state vnmoued stands As their Almightie maker first ordained And bound them with inuiolable bands Else would the waters ouerflow the lands And fire deuoure the ayre and hell them quight But that she holds them with her blessed hands She is the nourse of pleasure and delight And vnto Venus grace the gate doth open right By her I entring halfe dismayed was But she in gentle wise me entertayned And twixt her selfe and loue did let me pas But Hatred would my entrance haue restrayned And with his club me threatned to haue brayned Had not the Ladie with her powrefull speach Him from his wicked will vneath refrayned And th' other eke his malice did empeach Till I was throughly past the perill of his reach Into the inmost Temple thus I came Which fuming all with frankensence I found And odours rising from the altars flame Vpon an hundred marble pillors round The roose vp high was reared from the ground All deckt with crownes chaynes and girlands gay And thousand pretious gifts worth many a pound The which sad louers for their vowes did pay And all the ground was strow'd with flowres as fresh as may An hundred Altars round about were set All flaming with their sacrifices fire That with the steme thereof die Temple swet Which rould in clouds to heauen did aspire And in them bore true louers vowes entire And eke an hundred brasen caudrons bright To bath in ioy and amorous desire Euery of which was to a damzell hight For all the Priests were damzels in soft linnen dight Right in the midst the Goddesse selfe did stand Vpon an altar of some costly masse Whose substance was vneath to vnderstand For neither pretious stone nor durefull brasse Nor shining gold nor mouldring clay it was But much more rare and pretious to esteeme Pure in aspect and like to christall glasse Yet glasse was not if one did rightly deeme But being faire and brickle likest glasse did seeme But it in shape and beautie did excell All other Idoles which the heathen adore Farre passing that which by surpassing skill Phidias did make in Paphos Isle of yore With which that wretched Greeke that life forlore Did fall in loue yet this much fairer shined But couered with a slender veile afore And both her feete and legs together twyned Were with a snake whose head tail were fast cōbyned The cause why she was couered with a vele Was hard to know for that her Priests the same From peoples knowledge labour'd to concele But sooth it was not sure for womanish shame Nor any blemish which the worke mote blame But for they say she hath both kinds in one Both male and female both vnder one name She syre and mother is her selfe alone Begets and eke conceiues ne needeth other none And all about her necke and shoulders flew A flocke of litle loues and sports and ioyes With nimble wings of gold and purple hew Whose shapes seem'd not like to terrestriall boyes But like to Angels playing heauenly toyes The whilest their eldest brother was away Cupid their eldest brother he enioyes The wide kingdome of loue with Lordly sway And to his law compels all creatures to obay And all about her altar scattered lay Great sorts of louers piteously complayning Some of their losse some of their loues delay Some of their pride some paragons disdayning Some fearing fraud some fraudulently fayning As euery one had cause of good or ill Amongst the rest some one through loues constrayning Tormented sore could not containe it still But thus brake forth that all the temple it did fill Great Venus Queene of beautie and of grace The ioy of Gods and men that vnder skie Doest fayrest shine and most adorne thy place That with thy smyling looke doest pacifie The raging seas and makst the stormes to flie Thee goddesse thee the winds the clouds doe feare And when thou spredst thy mantle forth on hie The waters play and pleasant lands appeare And heauens laugh al the world shews ioyous cheare Then doth the daedale earth throw forth to thee Out of her fruitfull lap aboundant flowres And then all liuing wights soone as they see The spring breake forth out of his lusty bowres They all doe learne to play the Paramours First doe the merry birds thy prety pages Priuily pricked with thy lustfull powres Chirpe loud to thee out of their leauy cages And thee their mother call to coole their kindly rages Then doe the saluage beasts begin to play Their pleasant friskes and loath their wanted food The Lyons rore the Tygres loudly bray The raging Buls rebellow through the wood And breaking forth dare tempt the deepest flood To come where thou doest draw them with desire So all things else that nourish vitall blood Soone as with fury thou doest them inspire In generation seeke to quench their inward fire So all the world by thee at first was made And dayly yet thou doest the same repayre Ne ought on earth that merry is and glad Ne ought on earth that louely is and fayre But thou the same for pleasure didst prepayre Thou art the root of all that ioyous is Great God of men and women queene of th' ayre Mother of laughter and welspring of blisse O graunt that of my loue at last I may not misse So did he say but I with murmure soft That none might heare the sorrow of my hart Yet inly groning deepe and sighing oft Besought her to graunt ease vnto my smart And to my wound her gratious help impart Whilest thus I spake behold with happy eye I spyde where at the Idoles feet apart A beuie of fayre damzels close did lye Wayting when as the Antheme should be sung on hye The first of them did seeme of ryper yeares And grauer countenance then all the rest Yet all the rest were eke her equall peares Yet vnto her obayed all the best Her name was VVomanhood that she exprest By her sad semblant and demeanure wyse For stedfast still her eyes did fixed rest Ne rov'd at randon after gazers guyse Whose luring baytes oftimes doe heedlesse harts entyse And next to her sate goodly Shamefastnesse Ne euer durst her eyes from ground vpreare Ne euer once did looke vp from her desse As if some blame of euill she did feare That in her cheekes made roses oft appeare And her against sweet Cherefulnesse was placed Whose eyes like twinkling stars in euening cleare Were deckt with smyles that all sad humors chaced And darted forth delights the which her goodly graced And next to her sate sober Modestie Holding her hand vpon her gentle hart And her against sate comely Curtesie That vnto euery person knew her part And her before was seated ouerthwart Soft Silence and submisse Obedience Both linckt together neuer to dispart Both gifts of God not gotten but from thence Both girlonds of his Saints against their foes offence Thus sate they all a round in seemely rate And in